My Happy Ending
by Little Miss Giggle
Summary: Nobody ever said high school was easy.
1. Prologue

**My Happy Ending  
**_** Written by Little Miss Giggle**_

**0**

I was nurtured I was sheltered

_I was curious and young_

_I was searching for that something_

_Trying to find it on the run_

_Oh, and just when I stopped looking_

_I saw just how far I'd come_

_In this life._

**0**_  
_

_Originally written in 2007, yet deleted (uncompleted) in 2009 due to plagiarism. However, posted back up in 2010, yet despite my efforts to edit, that is still a working-progress. That should explain why the first few chapters are quite tedious to read, as I wrote them at the age of twelve, or so._


	2. Entering the Academy

**Disclaimer:** Noooo, I don't own Alice Gakuen!

**My Happy Ending  
**_**by Little Miss Giggle**_

**0**

**Chapter One: Entering the Academy**

**0**

_I don't need no superman, with special powers and a fake tan,  
to try and save the day for me.  
Why can't he just let me be?_

**0**

The sun streamed in through the cracks of the curtain, and a certain brunette was sleeping peacefully on her bed. The faint sounds of chirping birds were heard, as well as the occasionally honking from cars from outside. But inside her room, it was quiet. Her wavy chocolate brown hair was sprawled over her pillow, and she was curled up in a small ball. Suddenly, her mobile which was under her pillow started to vibrate, waking the brunette up with a start. She groaned and yawned and then she stiffly stretched her arms. She gingerly rubbed her aching eyelids and forced them to open by the slightest. She pushed her hand underneath her pillow, groping for her phone. Once she felt the cold vibrating phone of hers, she pulled it out, and checked the Caller's ID.

"Hello?" she muttered into the phone, as she lied back down on her bed, while she pinched her nose trying to wake herself up.

"_Don't tell me you were sleeping! It's already ten!"_

"You call ten in the morning late, Hotaru?" she sleepily laughed, as she delicately massaged her soar neck.

"_Mikan, I woke up at seven in the bloody morning today."_

Mikan Sakura was Hotaru Imai's best friend. They had been best friends since God knows when. Both fifteen years old now, they had known each other for many years now. Mikan had innocent hazel eyes, and chocolate brown hair, which curled loosely at the bottom. She was gentle and sweet, but no, people shouldn't underestimate this girl. She is snappish and yaps like a dog when necessary. She can bite too; a strong believer of: never be afraid to say what you think. Her best friend Hotaru, on the other hand, had hypnotizing amethyst eyes and short jet-black hair. She was generally quiet, and always looked at one, as if she was analyzing them. Both very different, they contrasted each other.

Mikan yawned, "Shame."

"_You act like my stupid baby cousin. Anyway, that's not why I called you."_

"I know why you called me. You called me to tell me how much you love me—" Mikan started, in a very cute baby voice, but was cut off by Hotaru's annoyed voice, who bluntly replied, "_Definitely not. I came to tell you I got the reply."_

Mikan scrunched her eyebrows and pouted in bewilderment. "What reply?"

"_God, I sometime wonder why I even talk to you. The reply! The reply from the Alice Academy!"_

Mikan paused. Her brain didn't understand anything, and when the message finally sunk in, she gasped. "Oh my God! Is it the fifteenth already! Lord, it is the fifteenth! Damn!" Mikan leapt out of her bed, and continued, "Oh god! Have you opened your letter yet?" She hastily swung her bedroom door open, and clambered out of her room noisily—

"_Well that's what you're supposed to do with letters."_

—and rushed down the stairs, her phone still by her ear. "Oh Christ . . ." Mikan mumbled to herself, and she glanced at her mother, Yuka, who was in the kitchen. Yuka opened her mouth to say something but Mikan quickly said, "Tell me later Mum! Got to go check the mail!"

Yuka looked extremely confused, but shrugged the thought away, and continued making blueberry pancakes.

Mikan on the other hand, ran outside to find a fair few amount of letter piled on her doormat, and she took hold of all of them. She squealed, and scanned through all the letters . . .

**Mrs. Yuka Azumi **_No_

**Mr. Akita Sakura** _No_

**Mrs. Yuka Azumi** _No_

**M. Ryo Sakura** _No_

**Miss Mikan Sakura** _No—Yes, yes!_

She squealed louder when she saw the letter addressed was to her was from the legendary Alice Academy.

"Hotaru! I found the letter! Oh my God I got the letter!"

"_How did you do?"_

"I haven't opened it," Mikan replied, as she tore open the envelope, ". . . Well, _now_ I have." She pulled out the letter, and quickly read through the letter:

_August 15th 2007  
__Dear Miss Mikan Sakura,_

_We are pleased to announce you have successfully passed the Alice Academy exams, and we have a place for you here in the Alice Academy. We have enclosed a leaflet in this letter; please feel free to look through the leaflet.  
Please reply to using the Address on the envelope, stating is you would accept or decline this offer. Please take note that the Alice Academy is one of the best Academies in Japan for Music.  
If you do accept our offer, please come to Alice Academy before the 1st September, we suggest for you to come around the 29th August so you could get used to the environment of the Alice Academy. All information will be enclosed in the sheets proceeding.  
_

_We hope to see you at the Academy._

_Sincerely,  
Fukutanni-Sensei, The Alice Academy Secretary_

Mikan gaped and couldn't speak. She stared at the letter in her hands and did nothing else.

"_Hey, you still there? Did you get in?"_ Hotaru's voice rang in her head, and suddenly she loudly shouted into the phone, "Hotaru, I got in!" Mikan started to jump around on her lawn, rolled around in the grass while she giggled and squealed like a piglet. "I got it in!" Mikan repeated just as loudly into her phone.

"_Good. So did I."_

"Oh my God! I can't believe I got in! I'm so excited!" Mikan chanted, and was now tranquilly lying down on the cool grass and she happily sighed. The anxious feeling with hovered over her for the last few days had now completely had gone, being replaced by a huge wave of relief and happiness. The wind caressed her clear, tanned skin, and the wind lightly whistled in her ear. The bright sunshine was celebrating with her, sending its ray down on Mikan.

"_Well, you better go tell your parents and brother. I'll call you tonight_."

_Bzzt._

Obviously, Hotaru had hung up on her. But Mikan simply giggled at her best friend's attitude and snapped her phone shut and took another relieved deep sigh.

_I can't believe I got in._

**0**

Since the age of five, all Mikan wanted to do was sing her heart out on stage, with thousands of people watching her. Nearly every night she would dream about a roaring crowd, cheering for her. Since the age of five she used to dance around in her knickers with a hairbrush in her hand and dance like a party animal. Since the age of five she wrote lyrics and music for her songs. Since the age of five she attended singing classes.

Easily said, to become a famous singer and to fall in love was her dream.

And soon, one of her dreams was going to come true. She was going to be a singer! . . . Well she was going to a legendary school of music, so she had to be close to at least one of her dreams, right?

Mikan happily bounced back into the kitchen were she saw her mother serving the family blueberry pancakes, and her father, Akita, gulping down his coffee, while her brother, Ryo, was slouched on the couch while strumming on his guitar. Akita was a plump man, who was bald at the top of his head; he wasn't the best looking person you could get, but definitely the kindest father anyone could wish for. Ryo, unlike his dad, was a definite hottie. Ryo had chestnut hair and golden eyes, which caught many girls attention.

"Good morning dear family!" Mikan excitedly greeted, as she sat down in her seat, while looking at the pancakes, smacking her lips.

"What was that about this morning? You were rabid and all over the place!" Yuka exclaimed, as she poured orange juice into Mikan's cup.

Mikan hastily grabbed her cup and sipped her orange juice down before saying, "I got the best news!"

"Probably something like, _I finally understand maths_." Ryo teased, as he also joined his family on the dining table.

Mikan pouted and replied, "Ryo, believe it not, I'm good at maths!"

"Oh yeah? What's the square root of sixty-four?" Ryo asked while raising his eyebrows at Mikan.

Mikan opened her mouth then closed it. " . . . A-Anyway, about my news!" She stopped when she heard her brother snickering, and she stuck out her tongue out at him and continued, "I got in!"

"Into what dear?" Yuka asked, as she poured more coffee into her husband's mug. Mikan gave a childish cheeky smile and said, "Into the Alice Academy of course!" and then from her pocket, she pulled out her reply, and showed it to her family.

There was a pause.

Mikan's mum stopped pouring coffee, and her brother stopped chewing his pancakes. Mikan's dad twitched before his mouth fell open. They were all staring at her, and Mikan, who was highly amused by their reaction, laughed out loud and she simply said, "You can stop looking constipated now."

". . . Amazing news dear!" Yuka suddenly cheered, her voice filled with excitement. "Oh, my baby, well done!" She clapped her hands rather dramatically to her mouth, which Mikan could only giggle at. "My own darling Mikan going to the famous Alice Academy in Tokyo! _Tokyo!_ Ahh, I haven't been there since I was twenty one! And my own baby going to the Academy! Oh, I can't _wait_ to tell those snobby neighbour's about this—_m__y daughter just got into the Alice Academy in Tokyo! _Who cares if their child is going to Oxford all the way in England; a university selective for posh twats _only_, if you ask me!" Mikan laughed hard at that; after all, the Sakuras (well, her mother) and their neighbours (the mother on their part too) had been competing in trivial matters ever since she could remember. Yuka pulled her daughter into a hug and kissed her on the forehead, "I'm so proud of you honey!"

"Yes, well done, Mikan! Fantastic news! Wait till I tell my boss about this!" Akita chuckled as he took another sip of his coffee, the corners of his eyes affectionately crinkling.

"We'll order sushi tonight!" Yuka announced. Mikan laughed at her mother before her eyes turned to look at her brother's golden eyes. "Well done, idiot. Who knew this day would come." Ryo said with a clear grin on his face.

"Ryo, that is no way to talk to your sister." Akita sternly reprimanded him, but Mikan took his jibe in a friendly sisterly manner: "Thank you so much Ryo!"

"For what?" He asked as he reached for the maple syrup.

"For teaching me to play the guitar, and supporting me since I was five! And now look at me—ten years later I'm about to go to the Alice Academy!" Mikan replied. Ryo just raised his eyebrows and said, "Yeah right. I never supported you. But," he forked a bit of pancakes into his mouth before he continued, "if you _do_ become famous and dirty rich, don't forget to mention me in your interviews, eh? Then you can get one of your hot celeb friends to date me."

Mikan pouted as she rolled her eyes, "As if I would ever do that!"

Ryo snorted, "You're making it _sound _like you _are _going to become famous, Mikan. Wait till you get to Tokyo at least."

The chatter concerning Mikan's success continued within the family as Mikan sat down to have her own plate of breakfast. "Oh, Hotaru also got in!" Mikan added. Her parents were very pleased to hear this, her mum replying, "Good. So I'll expect you'll both go together?"

"That's the plan!" Mikan replied.

It had originally been Hotaru's idea to apply to the Academy, however, Hotaru had suggested it rather off-handedly to Mikan earlier in the year; she had merely just been looking through a magazine when she found an adverstisement for the prestigious music school in Tokyo, the Alice Academy. Mikan's response to Hotaru's suggestion was very enthusiastic, and before Hotaru knew what was going on, Mikan had already googled 'Alice Academy'. It was expected really, after all Mikan loved to sing. It was thus Mikan who convinced Hotaru to apply for the Academy with her, and despite the fact that two had to then convince their parents for _weeks_ to allow them to go to such a school, in _Tokyo_, that would obviously cost a lot due to the fact that they'd have to board if they went, it was all worth it.

**0**

It was the evening, but the sky was dyed a peachy pink, and the wind whistled through the air, and fluffy clouds lazily drifted across the peachy sky. The trees were swaying with the wind, and Mikan, who was sitting on the balcony took a deep breath. She loved it here in the outskirts Nagoya, her home. She was going to miss it for sure. The weather was always so fresh, and full of promise.

Mikan sighed contentedly, still overwhelmed by the happenings of today. Here, at the outskirts of Nagoya, it was given that everybody knew each other, so it didn't take long for the news that her and Hotaru had gotten into the Alice Academy spread to everybody she knew. Many of the locals visited the Sakuras (and of course, the Imais) after hearing such news, including her friends and Mikan, couldn't help but nearly cry with happiness when people from all ages that she knew presented her with little parting gifts for luck.

The gifts, which were mostly food, were carefully sitting on her desk now, and they really made Mikan realise how much she was going to miss it here in Nagoya.

Suddenly feeling her mobile vibrating, her sentimental thoughts were dispelled, and fished her mobile out of her pocket.

"Hotaru!"

_"Want to have a sleepover tonight at mine?"_

__It was most convenient that her best friend only lived a few doors down.

**0**

Different. _Very_ different.

The big flashing lights, the big electric signs, the bustling people, the roaring engines of cars, and the piercing long honks. The streets were crawling shops instead of houses. The odd one or two lonely trees stood on the side of the road, but that was the only sign of green, unless you count the neon green signs. There was no star in the sky. Not one.

The scenery they saw when they exited Tokyo Station startled the two indeed, especially considering that it was their first time in the capital city.

_Welcome to Tokyo! _the sign had read.

"This place looks a place where robots live!" Mikan exclaimed, disbelief echoing in her voice. Of course, Tokyo being the capital city of Japan, it often featured in the news and in the magazines that she loved to get styling tips from, yet Mikan didn't think the difference between the centre of Nagoya and Tokyo would be so severe. If anything, it was the sheer _number _of people that surprised Mikan the most, and the lack of nature in general.

"I suppose we won't really be getting any quiet nights in a city like this." was Hotaru's only remark, as her sharp eyes took in as much as she could. The city was so bright, that somewhat outshone the darkness of the night.

It was the 29th of August, 2007, seven o'clock.

Mikan and Hotaru had finally arrived to the metropolis Tokyo, and bloody hell Tokyo was _hot_. The air was sticky and humid, unlike Nagoya, which was hot in the afternoons yet cool in the evenings. The hotness however was different, the heat of Tokyo seemed induced by men; everything screamed artificiality to Mikan.

"How are we going to get to the Academy?" Mikan asked her best friend, in attempt to direct her attention elsewhere from the desire to have a cold can of Fanta.

Hotaru simply answered, "Taxi. Look for one, will you?"

It only took a few seconds before Mikan said, "Oooh! Taxi in sight!" while she clutched her best friend's arm with her left hand, using her right to point in the direction of the free taxi rather comically.

Mikan's actions most certainly caught the attention of the taxi driver, as not long after, the taxi swerved infront of the two girls with the window wheeled open. "Where to?"

"Alice Academy!" Mikan answered with a proud smile. The taxi driver politely nodded in reply, and the taxi door automatically swung open, letting Mikan and Hotaru to hastily climbed in, with their heavy suitcases and bags. "To the Academy!" Mikan tinkled, nudging Hotaru excitedly as the taxi made its way back into the line of cars.

**0**

**Natsume's POV**

**0**

She's still following me. What is she? Dog, cat, or maybe just both?

"But Natsume—" Sumire called my name for what felt like the millionth time. Her sacchrine voice was the last straw. Snapping my head back to look at her, and I take a deep breath. "I told you, we're over." My voice may be calm, but bloody hell, I want to just _get it_. I'd already told her we were done, but she failed to understand anything. How many times does a guy have to say it, goddamit? The more I try the get away from her, the more she clings onto me, I swear.

"Why?" Tears were forming in her eyes, "Natsume—"

"Piss off, will you?" I angrily muttered, and walked away from her. I glanced back. She was crying, mumbling to herself. I tried to be nice, but in the end it's always the same. You gotto be a bastard to completely get rid of them.

I went downstairs to the vending machine to get a Diet Coke, but then I heard the front reception door knock. I ignored it at first, but then the knocking got louder, and more insistent. Can't that receptionist do her job? . . . I groaned when I saw the receptionist wasn't there.

Reluctantly, I went over to the door to go open it. I clicked it open, and my eyebrows raised. There, outside, stood two girls I had never seen before; one looking mildly irritated whilst the other girl with big eyes simply looked relieved. "Oh thank god we made it, I thought that taxi driver took us to some hotel!" The girl I had an eye for sighed, as she walked past me with her friend. "It's so big!" she added, to her friend, completey ignoring me.

I raised my eyebrows; clearly they were new to Tokyo and the Academy itself.

"Aren't you going to thank me for opening the door?" I called after them.

They both turned back to look at me, looking a bit surprised. The gothic girl raised her one of her eyebrow at me, but the other replied, "I smiled at you. _That's_ a thank you!"

"Not in Tokyo." I answered, smirking. "A kiss would be more appropriate."

She furrowed her eyebrow. "Huh. Funny, because I swear the city people kiss to greet and thank is Paris?"

I saw her friend roll her eyes, and pull the smiling girl away, muttering, "Ignore him, come on, lets go find out rooms . . ."

But inconspicuously as her friend dragged her along, she looked back at me, smiled, and mouthed, "_Thank you!"_

. . . What's her name?

**0**

**End of Chapter One**

**0**


	3. Lotsa New Things

**Disclaimer: **Do you really, really, _really_ need to know? No, I don't think so, because the answer is nope!

**0**

**My Happy Ending  
**_**Written by Little Miss Giggle**_

_0_

**Chapter Two: Lotsa New Things**

**0**

_I don't need no superman, with special powers and a fake tan,  
to try and save the day for me.  
Why can't he just let me be?_

**0**

The sun had slowly, but surely had risen, and was warming up the big city of Tokyo. There was a light breeze today, and the trees whistled with the winds, chorused by the chirping birds, which were animatedly flying around the city of Tokyo looking for grub. The sky was painted a soothing baby blue, and white featherbeds dotted patches of the great blue sky. It was such a perfect morning.

_And what do normal people do on a beautiful morning like this? _

They take a relaxing long walk.

_And what do people like Mikan Sakura do? _ Simple, they sleep-in.

Mikan looked like a baby angel; she was curled up in her fluffy bed, lightly breathing. Her chocolate brown hair was sprawled over her pink cushion, and her hazel eyes began to flutter open, as she felt the sun tingle her eyes. She groaned as she turned her back to the sunlight, which was slowing streaming in through her window. Mikan was finally slipping back into the real world, and gently pushed her reluctant eyes open. She blinked for a few seconds then gave a big yawn -

"Finally you're awake."

Mikan twirled her head around with a dazzling, yet innocently sleepy smile plastered to her face. She faced the source of the emotionless voice, which belonged to her best friend and happily said, "Good morning Hotaru!"

Hotaru just took another sip of her coffee and replied, "What to you want for breakfast? Tea or coffee?"

Mikan crinkled her nose and pouted and made a sound which sounded like a moan of a sheep, before replying, "Is that all we're having? _Coffee_ or _tea_?"

It had been one day since they had arrived. School doesn't start until another two days, but even without school, things for Mikan and Hotaru was hard. They had one _eensy weensy_ problem. They were both what-you-call, 'beyond terrible cooks.' The only thing Mikan could cook was cheesy toast, and the only things Hotaru could make were tea or coffee. Yes, they couldn't even cook a friend egg or an omelette; as soon as the egg went in the pan, they would accidentally leave it in too long, causing the egg to turn into a pile of soot.

"Well, what do you suggest?" Hotaru answered in a bitter tone. She hated not being able to do something. Last night they had to order 6 boxes of pizza they were so hungry; Hotaru tried to make a Spanish Omelette for them, but guess what?

Soot, that's what.

"Hmm . . . the cafeteria in school?" Mikan suggested. Hotaru dismissed the suggestion with a mere wave of a hand while saying, "No thank you."

Mikan gave a confused laugh, and slid of her bed. She had never understood Hotaru's hatred for school breakfasts/lunches/dinners so much. On the contrary, the food in the Alice Academy was really yummy, but for some odd reason, Hotaru absolutely refused the idea. Oh, if only Mikan knew . . .

When Hotaru was in Year Two, a mere seven year old, she had once ordered a Spaghetti Bolognese for lunch, and could have sworn she saw an eyeball rolling around in the sauce. This put her off School meals forever, well, she hasn't touched a School meal since, not to mention Bolognese makes her want to barf.

Mikan's hazel eyes gazed upon the two empty beds in the same room. The blankets and pillows were still untouched and looked as if it was longing for an owner. Mikan put her fingers to her chin and asked, "Who do you think is going to be our new roommates?"

Hotaru shrugged and replied, "Even though I'm a genius, it doesn't mean I know everything." Hotaru gave a smug grin to Mikan, and Mikan stuck her tongue out and gave a giggle.

"Well, I'm going to take a shower." Mikan announced, as she walked over to the bathroom.

_-Mikan and Hotaru's room, as you might have noticed, was a room designed for four girls. It had a large living room, and the bedrooms and dining room was all connected. There was a cute, tidy little kitchen, and of course a bathroom. And the special feature of the rooms here in the Alice Academy was, since it was a school for music, each room came with a music room, which was filled with nearly all the instruments you could get. Not to mention, it was sound-proof!-_

"Well, come out quickly. I got a notice today that all present students are to go to the Main Hall at 11:00am, which is in 45 minutes."

Mikan gave Hotaru a wink in reply and was just about to close the bathroom door when she added, "I'll have coffee for breakfast. Make sure it's fresh and warm, eh?"

Hotaru rolled her eyes at her best friend's childishness, but then a serious face surfaced. Mikan had just reminded her that she simply can't cook. Hotaru gave a tired sigh before her eyes glanced at the dorm room. Who _were_ their new roommates? And quite honestly, their room was so cute; it could totally fit another bed in. Leaving the thought beside, Hotaru prayed that at least one of them could cook as she boiled the kettle, nearly burning her finger.

**0**

Mikan tightly clutched Hotaru's arm, as she and Hotaru entered the huge, intimidating main hall. The size of the Main Hall was outstanding. It was huge. There were many cushiony seats around the stage, which was _enormous._ The massive stage-light blinded anybody who looked directly into it and it shone directly over a lectern, which was placed in the centre of the stage.

The Main Hall was packed with students from all over Japan, and the hall was buzzing with cheerful conversations. Mikan's throat felt a bit dry, never in her life had she seen so many students packed underneath the same roof. Yet, Mikan pushed the thought back to the back of her head, and gave a dazzling smile. Hotaru smiled at her best friend's attitude; she loved Mikan's happy-go-lucky attitude, it somehow made herself feel more confident.

Many students took a moment's glance at the two teenagers entering the hall, as one does when there is new meat in town.

Mikan was oblivious to the attention she and Hotaru were getting, but carried on chatting to Hotaru about her dream. ". . . and then _poof_! I'm awake! Isn't that a weird dream?"

"_Woah, so many newbies are hot this year, eh, Natsume?"_

As well as the many other eyes gazing at the two girls who had just entered, a boy with black, messy yet perfect hair, light skin and sparkling crimson eyes, rested his gaze on the two girls. His mouth curved into a smirk as soon as he saw who _that_ girl was, and his eyes sparkled more with excitement.

"_Natsume, you're scaring me, mate. You look as if you found your wife." _A boy with messy honey coloured, and excited brown eyes commented, snickering.

"_Yeah, he's right. Damn you look like my dad in his wedding photo!" _joked a boy with identical messy honey coloured hair and slanted fox's eyes.

"_Shut up, you gits." _The stud replied, with a cocky smirk on his face.

"_You are a one heck of a beast, Natsume…" _Laughed a guy with kind blue eyes, and shimmering blonde hair. The raven haired boy rolled his eyes at his friends in amusement, and continued looking at the girl, until his thoughts were interrupted by a lanky man, with his greasy hair tied up, and glasses, perched on the tip of his nose.

"_Hyuuga-san, you better get on the stage, same with you, Nogi-san!"_

Natsume sighed, "_I hate first days of school . . ."_

**0**

"—Hotaru, you meanie, you weren't even listening to me talking about my pet Snoogly, when he—" Mikan hastily continued, giving a cute pout, but abruptly stopped when Hotaru interrupted her, hissing, "Shhh, look, some teachers are walking to the stage."

Mikan first crinkled her eyebrows and twirled her head towards the stage. And it was true; indeed five very bizarre looking grown ups, who one would assume were the teachers, were approaching the stage. Mikan gave a little gasp and whispered back, "Hotaru, we've got to sit somewhere!"

Mikan and Hotaru had been standing the whole time, looking for a perfect spot to sit in, while of course, Mikan was ranting on about something extremely pointless (in this case, _Snoogly_).

"Ooooh! There! Let's sit there, next to that boy. He seems really nervous! Maybe he's a newbie, just like us!" Mikan excitedly commented, and she clutched Hotaru's hand and led her to the empty row, on were just a boy with glasses sat. He was looking to his side rather shiftly, or nervously some would observe, and his hands which rested in his laps were unconsciously shaking rather viciously too..

"Hey!" Mikan kindly yet quietly greeted. The boy on the other hand gave a little jump in response, causing all the music sheets on his lap to flutter down to the floor.

"Oh I'm sorry if I scared you! Here, let me help you!" Mikan sweetly offered. She helped the boy pick up all the sheets of paper, and handed it to him.

"T - Tanks . . . I mean, thanks . . ."

Mikan beamed at the boy and said, "I'm Mikan Sakura! And this is Hotaru Imai," Hotaru gave the boy a quick nod, and stared towards the stage. "Nice to meet you!" Mikan remarke, as she smiled.

"I'm—umm . . .Tobita Yuu. Is it your first . . . urm, year he-here?" he nervously asked. He kept on twirling his hands in his laps, which the sheets of paper were securely under. His legs felt weak, and were shaking, and he couldn't help a bead of sweat trickle down his back, making his shirt stick to him.

Tobita Yuu had never talked to a girl, unless you count his mum. But, yes, Yuu had never talked to a girl. It sounds crazy and impossible, but it was true. He went to a school for only boys in his younger years, and refused to talk to girls, or to go anywhere, which might be a place to talk to girls. After school, he would cycle back home as fast as humanly possible, and once he got home, he was sure he was safe. Alright, fine, he might've spoken to some of his mum's older friends, or answered the phone to a friend of his mum's in the past—but no girl _his _age. After all, he thought, _Who would _want _to speak to me?_ So poor Yuu was completely terrified (and surprised!) when this smiley brunette girl talked to him, not to mention, this girl was beautiful with her pearly white smile and big hazel eyes.

"Yeah, it's my first year here!" Mikan answered back, giving him a reassuring smile. Yuu gave a nervous nod, and Mikan opened her mouth to add something but zipped it closed when she saw the teachers, now fully on the stage, turning the microphone on . . .

"Good morning students! Those who are new here, welcome! And those who have already studied here: welcome back!" A man announced. Hotaru raised her eyebrow at this man, and mentally snickered. This man had blonde hair, up to his shoulders, and purple eyes. The thing was, he sounded like a girl; his voice was high and girlish, in the sense it was giggly, and he even dressed like one. He dressed in—do you even _need _to know? Because I think you know who this camp dude is.

"For students who are new, I am Narumi Sensei. I am the Head of Jazz. And this young lady is—" Narumi pointed his microphone to a serious looking lady, who had her long blonde hair tied back in a pony tail. She also had amethyst eyes, which gazed silently into the audience—"Serina Sensei. She is in charge of the choir and the orchestra. And this man is—" Narumi now pointed to a man with neat greased brown hair, and grey eyes which were concealed by his studious looking glasses, which was sitting on his crooked nose—"Jinno Sensei. He's the Head of all Classical Music. And this young man—" Narumi pointed to the youngest man on the stage. Many girls intently gazed at him, hearts twinkling in their eyes. He had messy brown hair and had mysterious violet eyes—"Reo Mouri. He will be teaching Pop/Rock etc . . . Music, the music all you teenagers like. Of course there are many more teachers here in the Academy, but were quite not able to make it today, so don't go away thinking that the Academy only has four teachers!" Narumi concluded, chuckling to himself about his comment.

Mikan now shifted her gaze to the fifth teacher standing on the stage.

_Who's _he_?_

This man was bald at the top of his head, but had strings of grey hair. He had a very round face, and a wide body, and wore glasses. Mikan smiled to herself; he looked like Santa Clause, but in a suit!

Narumi had passed the microphone to the so-called Santa Claus, and he cleared his throat and said in a kind, yet powerful voice, "I am Mr. Prince," Mikan pouted, she was hoping for a Mr. Clause – "and I am the Head Teacher of this Academy. I, unfortunately, won't be teaching anything, but will be judging."

The students suddenly broke into storms of whispers . . .

"_Did he say judging?"_

"Yes, judging," confirmed Mr. Prince, "This year, we will be holding a grand competition, for the first time in the Academy history! The competition is somewhat going to be similar the popular competition, _The Battle of the Bands_, of course, except for the fact, you don't have to be in a band, you can sing solo. Any type of music is acceptable – _Yes_, Mr. Yome, even rapping—" A gleeful whoop was heard from the audience. Mikan, with an amused smile on her face, whipped her head back to see the source of the sound, but only saw students laughing.

"Yes, thank you for that Mr. Yome . . . as I was saying, any type of music is acceptable, and it is not compulsory to enter…yet, the prize is a grand prize. If you win this contest, you will also win a whooping 660,000 Yen!"

Mikan and Hotaru's eyes widened. Did they hear correctly? 660,000? They would get 660,00 Yen is they just _win_ a contest?

No way!

"But, if you band consisted of let's say ten people, you would have to share this grand 660,000 between the ten of you, so us staff advise a small band would be better than a big band."

The students broke out into a heated discussion once more. Mikan turned to Hotaru, and gave an awkward giggle. Hotaru had money signs in her twinkling eyes, and robotically said, ". . . 660,000 Yen . . . that's around five thousand pounds, which is around _ten thousand dollars_ . . . _Must_ win contest . . ."

Mikan amusedly raised her eyebrow at her best friend, and turned her attention back on stage.

"As many students may have noticed, some of your roommates might not have come yet." Mikan and Hotaru glanced at each other, both with a_ that's-us_ expression plastered on their faces. "So, when your roommates do come, please take the time explaining to them about the Grand Contest we are holding."

"And now," Mr. Prince continued, "we would like to introduce you to two well known students here in the Alice Academy. They will both be saying a word about the Academy; this is for all you newbies here. Please give a warm welcome to Natsume Hyuuga, and Ruka Nogi!"

The _warm _welcome wasn't any normal warm welcome. Instead of the usual loud clapping, many girls (and some un-straight boys) started to_ scream_ two names, to Mikan and Hotaru's shock, with banners flying in the air, reading:

– _WE LOVE YOU NATSUME! - -MARRY ME NATSUME/RUKA! - - I LURVE YOU BOTH MORE THAN LIFE! - - I WON'T MIND IF YOU COME TO MY ROOM TONIGHT, NATSUME/RUKA! –_

Mikan's eyes bulged out at the sight of these banners. Especially the last one made her worry a bit. She gazed upon the two boys on the stage, and pouted at the sight of them. They weren't to _die _for . . . Alright, fine, she admitted had to admit that m_aybe_ they were one of the sexiest guys she had ever seen, but still, she couldn't help feel a bit uncomfortable by those banners. One had blonde hair, with ocean blue eyes, while the other had dark locks of raven hair and crimson eyes—

"Hotaru! It's that punk from the other night!" Mikan loudly commented, trying to make herself audible to her best friend. Hotaru hated all this screaming, it made her feel as if her ear was bleeding, she wanted to burn all these banners, and remove the voices of these . . . _pathetic_ girls. Hotaru's face was crinkled with _angry lines_, as Mikan called them, and her eyes looked annoyed, and her mouth was unconsciously twitching. Despite this, she heard every word Mikan had said, and nodded in reply, as her glare rested on the two boys on the front of the stage. "I don't like them." She bluntly responded, and Mikan gave another awkward laugh.

Natsume and Ruka, who were both on the stage, were having their own private, _inaudible _conversation . . .

"God, I hate them girls." Natsume hissed to Ruka, as they were both making their way to the lectern. Ruka chuckled at his best friend, and continued waving at the audience.

"Come on, Natsume, look at all those banners_ 'them girls'_ made for you, at least wave at them!"

It was true Ruka also _disliked_ those girls, in fact, he didn't fancy anybody right now, he was just being a nice guy, and waving to all his crazy fans.

"Ruka, stop waving and stick your middle finger up at them." Natsume said, as he scowled—the screaming was really getting to his head now. Ruka laughed at his best friend's attitude, and they were now both standing in front of the lectern, with a microphone in each of their hands.

"Be nice to them . . ." Mr. Prince sternly whispered, pointedly to Natsume, who was now glaring at the crowd. Natsume rolled his eyes and muttered, "I will."

Mr. Prince gave a hopeful smile to Narumi, and stepped back from the lectern, letting Ruka and Natsume speak.

"Hey. We hope you're all feeling fine!" Ruka cheerfully started. The students cheering got louder, and Natsume groaned in disgust.

"First of all, I would like to say, I'm Ruka Nogi, and this here is my best mate Natsume Hyuuga. We're both seventeen years old, and have been in this Academy for two years now, and we've had one hell of a time, and I'm sure all of you musicians out there will too!" The students cheered at Ruka's statement while Natsume gave a simple curt nod to the audience.

Ruka gave Natsume an inconspicuous nudge, urging him to say something. Natsume rolled his eyes, and put the microphone to his mouth and unenthusiastically said, "Can you get rid of those banners? They're hurting my eyes. Thanks." With that, he smirked rather cruelly at the audience—there was an awkward silence, but it was quickly followed by the girls, and let's not forget the gay boys, sighing (with love) at his hot smirk before they quickly started shuffling their banners under their feet, and crinkling them with their high heels.

Evidence: destroyed.

Ruka slapped his forehead at Natsume's statement, and was about to apologize to the students about Natsume's manner, but didn't quite get to.

Instead, the Head Master, Mr. Prince, hastily pushed the boys away from the lectern with his enormous belly, and gave a false amused chuckle. "Isn't Natsume quite a comedian? Well students, off to your rooms now!"

The students all stood up, and started to pour out of the hall, including Mikan and Hotaru—"What kind of introduction speech was _that?"_ Mikan cried, incredulously. "It was _lousy._"

Mr. Prince was giving cheerful smiles at the leaving students, but when he turned his head back to Natsume, his expression changed immediately.

"Hyuuga! How many times do we have to tell you to be _nice?_" Mr. Prince demanded.

Mr. Prince was generally a nice man, he was kind with children, and had a sense of humour that none of the other teachers had. Not to mention, he had a gigantic tin of cookies in his office! But when Mr. Prince was angry, he was a completely different person. His eyebrows will scrunch up, and his nose would flare, and he would go very red in the face.

And right now, Mr. Prince's eyebrows were scrunched, his nose was flared and he was very rouge in the face.

Natsume shrugged and replied in a bored tone, "The banners _did_ hurt my eyes. And I said, _Thanks_, didn't I? I was polite."

The other four teachers had also approached Natsume, Ruka and the Head Master, each having a different expression on their faces.

"Headmaster, I admired Natsume's attitude of saying what he thinks!" Narumi gaily commented, brandishing his arm out wildly.

"I on the other hand think we should punish Mr. Hyuuga for his behaviour. He is setting a bad example for all the new students here. Mr. Nogi on the other hand did a marvellous job." Serina said.

"You've fancied Ruka ever since we came here." Natsume commented, with a devilish grin on his face. Serina's cheeks immediately coloured before her nose flared at Natsume's impertinence. With her amethyst eyes narrowed, Serina opened her mouth to say something when Jinno commented, "I quite agree with Serina Sensei. Hyuuga has showed the new students nothing but rudeness, and I agree Nogi did a good job, and I certainly _do not_ fancy Nogi."

Natsume rolled his eyes, while Ruka seemed a bit embarrassed he was being praised, a sheepish smile being the evidence.

"What do you think, Mouri?" Mr. Prince asked Reo, who was busy texting on his phone. Reo first shrugged but then snapped his phone shut and said, "I agree with Hyuuga, the banners did _indeed _hurt my eyes."

There was an awkward silence, and Mr. Prince's eyes twitched at Reo's comment. Natsume smirked at Mr. Prince's reaction; Mr. Prince gave a tired sigh, and said, "Well, since school hasn't started yet, I guess I won't punish you. But Hyuuga,_ please_ refrain from acting like that in front of the new students, as Serina Sensei and Jinno Sensei said, it is rude."

Natsume gave a bored nod in reply and added, "Can Ruka and I leave now?"

Serina and Jinno both looked displeased with Natsume's lack of understanding how serious it was to them on acting as good as gold. Mr. Prince also looked displeased with Natsume's laziness, but dismissed the thought with a flick of a hand—he had other things to worry about.

Besides, he couldn't really threaten Natsume Hyuuga. Even if he was in charge of the Academy, there were bigger people out there, people, one in particular, who would not forgive him if he ever suspended or worse, expelled Natsume from his school.

"Yes, off you trot to your room . . ." Mr. Prince warily said.

Natsume swivelled around, with Ruka, his hands inserted deep in his pockets with an amused face. After they had the left the Main Hall, Natsume smirked and said, "I don't trot."

**0**

Mikan was laughing with Hotaru while she fished her door key from her pockets, and clicked the door open—"And then, Snoogly—_Hotaru, there's someone in our room_!"

Hotaru, who was unwillingly listening to Mikan's story about Snoogly, suddenly became alert, and whipped her head to the two girls in their room. One had dead straight midnight blue hair, and gorgeous blue eyes, while the other had sugary pink curls and innocent blue eyes.

"Oh! You must be out roommates!" The one with the pink curls happily squealed.

"Oh thank god!" The other one added.

Both of them had very piercing accents; they sounded as if they were from Texas, and Mikan squealed herself, "Ooooh! I love your accents!"

"Aw, thanks!" They both answered in unison. But then Mikan paused . . . _roommates?_ Hotaru, who looked a bit relaxed simply said, "I'm Hotaru Imai. It's my first year here. I play the piano."

"Wait a second!_ You're_ our roommates?" Mikan confusedly repeated.

The two girls gave a girlish giggle and replied, "That's what we said, wasn't it?"

Mikan laughed and said, "Sorry, I'm not the sharpest in the bunch. . . Nice to meet you both! I'm Mikan Sakura!"

"Oh well, its great to meet you Mikan and Hotaru! I'm Anna, and this here is my twin sister, Nonoko. Fraternal twin, mind you! We both sing and play the guitar. Country singers." Anna cheerfully explained.

Before Mikan could open her mouth to say more, Hotaru's mouth shot open and she quickly blurted out, "Can either one of you cook?"

There was a brief pause, since it was an awkward question to ask somebody, but nevertheless, Nonoko gave a happy chuckle. "Actually, Anna here is a great cook. Our mama used to own a bakery back home."

"Thank the Lord. Can you make some sushi today? I am craving for sushi." Hotaru said.

Mikan laughed at Hotaru's request, while the twins who were initially surprised, joined in on the laughter too. "Sure! Why the heck not?"

**0**

Even though Hotaru hardly talked, because she was too busy eating sushi, it didn't mean they all didn't bond. Mikan was very energetic, and amused them all with her stories, which brought the life and joy to their room, and both Anna and Nonoko had many shocking, yet hilarious stories from _back home in Texas_, which kept them all laughing. Hotaru's blunt comebacks and comments also kept them highly amused.

The subject had somehow slipped to _boys_, and both Anna and Nonoko, who knew a thing or two about boys, were telling Hotaru and Mikan how the boys were like in Texas.

"—They were nice and all, but all they would talk about was Texas and themselves. _Very dull._ We both were a bit bored of Texas anyway, and our older sister, Miruku, goes here to the Alice Academy, and she would send us pictures of her, and the boys in the Academy now and then, so we got really interested in joining the Academy, so we signed up, sent a CD and DVD of us," Anna delicately explained. "and voilá! We got in! Our family's originally Japanese—our parents just moved to the USA when we were like toddlers, but we were both born here. I guess it's true when they say you always end up living in the city you were born in.—Oh Nonoko honey, show them the Miruku's list!"

Nonoko giggled, "Miruku is in her last year here. You'll hardly see her though; she spends most time in studios outside the Academy. _Annnnd_, according to Miruku, the hottest boys in the school are _here . . ._" Nonoko said, as she rummaged her bag for a sheet of paper, given to her from her older sister. Once she had found it, she passed it to Mikan, who was sucking on a lollipop. Mikan thanked Nonoko, and with Hotaru looked at the list of boys. It was the a list of the Top Ten Hottest Boy in the Alice Academy, each name came with a picture, and a very brief description . . .

**10. **_Rygunoshuke Matsumoto – _a kind fellow, who wishes to become a rugby player. Why is he in the Alice Academy for _Music_? No idea.

_**9.**__ Ken Yamagawa – _currently going out with Barbina . . . it's just like _Ken and Barbie_.

_**8. **__Rui Hanazawa – _a beautiful violin player, only problem is that he fancies somebody in America (rumoured to be the model Shizuka . . . apparently it's a lie though, 'cos recent news says she's getting _engaged!_)

_**7.**__ Yuuki Yamanotakara – _Loved for his cute babyish looks . . . Minor problem is that he's titchy. Five foot.

_**6.**__ Kokoro Yome _tied with_ Kitsune-me – _They're not related, but woah are they similar! Double Act. Both extremely funny, and one of Natsume Hyuuga's good friend.

_**5.**__ Andou Tsubasa _– currently going out with Misaki Harada, but is famous for his kindness towards girls.

_**4.**__ Andrea Lamborghini – _Gorgeous Italian boy. I, Miruki, will die for a boyfriend like him!

_**3. **__Youichi Hijiri _– doesn't talk much, but woah! He's like major fit!

_**2. **__Ruka Nogi –_ Kind, blonde, blue eyes, what more of a Prince can you get? Best friends with Natsume Hyuuga.

_**1. **__Natsume Hyuuga _– Like Hijiri, he hardly talks but he's famous for his cocky/cheeky remarks and irresistible smirk. Rumoured player of the school.

After Mikan and Hotaru had scanned through the list, Mikan nearly spat out her lollipop she was sucking. "It's that rude guy on stage! How can he be Number One?" Mikan demanded, as she jabbed her finger at the picture of Natsume Hyuuga. Either the picture was retouched, or Natsume was photogenic, or maybe it was just Natsume was gorgeous all the time, but what ever the reason was, he looked hot in his picture with his, (I quote from the list) 'irresistible smirk'.

"Mikan, you don't think he's gorgeous?" Anna asked her eyes wide with surprise.

"Of course I think he's fit! But he's just so rude!" Mikan explained. "And conceited, it seemed like!"

Hotaru gave a simple nod in agreement, and blew a minty bubble with her chewing gum.

Nonoko sighed, "Well, I got to agree, he ain't the nicest type of guy you could get. As well as writing this list, Miruku told us about each and every one of these ten boys, and by far did Hyuuga sound the rudest. It's the latest news about Hyuuga, but apparently he broke up with Sumire Shouda in the Summer, a girl in our year, just because she was a bad kisser. It's just a rumour though."

Mikan scoffed in disgust before she looked down to look at his picture again. Indeed he was an Adonis, with his raven black hair and piercing crimson eyes. But to her, it all just looked so fake—the way he smirked at the camera, and the way his head was tilted. To her, it looked as if he _wanted _to get this picture around, to send out a message he was everything a girl wanted and everything a guy _wanted _to be. It was as if it was a mask—hiding something deeper. And all of a sudden, she couldn't look at the picture anymore—at his _face._

Mikan had a weird feeling in her stomach . . . her insides were churning; it was the inevitable feeling you get when you know something bad is going to happen to you . . .

**0**

**End of Chapter Two**

**0**


	4. Her Name Is Mikan Sakura

**Disclaimer: **Golly guys, didn't know you were that thick to not figure this one yourselves! _–Sigh-_ No, I don't own Alice Gakuen in any way :)

**0**

**My Happy Ending  
**_**Written by Little Miss Giggle**_

**0**

**Chapter Three: Her Name Is Mikan Sakura**

**0**

_I don't need no superman, with special powers and a fake tan,  
to try and save the day for me.  
Why can't he just let me be?_

**0**

Mikan turned in her bed and took a deep sigh. The sky was now dyed midnight blue, and dark blue clouds drifted silently across the sky, hiding the twinkling stars. The night was a cool night for Tokyo, the perfect temperature to fall asleep, yet Mikan just couldn't go to sleep. Her eyes were wide open, and no matter how many sheeps she counted, it didn't help one _eensy_ bit. Hotaru, Anna and Nonoko had fallen asleep about an hour ago, and Mikan was desperate to fall asleep; tomorrow was her first day of school, she didn't want to go to class looking like a zombie! She even scared herself by talking to herself; convincing herself if she didn't go to sleep on ten minutes the evil ghosts would come and get her, but her results were disappointing: instead of falling asleep, she imagined these so-called evil ghosts so vividly, she was shaking under her blanket.

_Dear, dear, Mikan . . ._

"_Is she dead?"_

Mikan crinkled her eyebrow when she heard voices murmuring over her head. . . _dead? Who?_

"_No, the idiot probably couldn't get to sleep last night."_

Mikan's forehead was creased in lines . . . _sleep?_ What were her friends talking about—?

"_Shouldn't we wake her up? School starts in thirty minutes . . ."_

The effect was immediate. Mikan's eyes snapped opened, and her leapt off her bed with great speed. Anna and Nonoko jumped in surprise at the sudden movement and squealed. Hotaru on the other hand gave a knowing smile, as if she knew this was going to happen. All three of her friends were already changed, done with their make-up, and were about to eat their breakfast, while Mikan was still in her teddy pyjamas, her hair an absolute mess.

"_What? _I only have _thirty_ minutes?" Mikan hysterically demanded. Without waiting for an answer, without losing a moment, Mikan whooshed her closet open, grabbed her uniform, and rushed in the bathroom, locking the door behind her. "_Thirty _minutes? How am I ever going to eat breakfast?" She heard her friends giggling, but at this point she couldn't see the funny part of things.

She squirted a lump of jelly on her toothbrush, and quickly brushed her teeth, with such force her gums felt like they were at the dentists. Her teeth were sparkly clean, and without losing another moment, she pulled her pyjama top off. After changing into her uniform, she grabbed her brush, which was lying by the sink. She untangled the knots in her hair, and before too long, her hair was gleaming smooth.

But then she gaped at her reflection.

"_Noooo__!_" Mikan cried to herself. She pulled herself closer to the mirror, and opened her gorgeous hazel eyes as wide as she could . . . goddammit!

Bags. Big haunting puffy purple bags framed her sparkling eyes.

**0**

Mikan and her friends walked in a cluster down the corridor to their classes. Mikan was laughing her silvery laugh at Anna and Nonoko's jokes, while Hotaru gave a small smile, obviously trying to keep a straight face on.

"Nonoko, Anna, you two are official my heroes. Thank you so much for the make-over!" Mikan thanked once again. Mikan ghost purple circles had disappeared as soon as Anna had applied cream and light foundation on her, and Nonoko made it look natural with a brush of blush. Both seeing how pretty Mikan looked with some make-up, they went a little over-board and also applied mascara, eyeliner and sparkly bronze eye shadow on her.

"No problem, honey!" Nonoko replied, with a smile on her face.

Suddenly, Anna and Nonoko stopped walking, their eyes widened, twinkling with excitement. Mikan crinkled her eyebrow in bewilderment and asked, "What's the matter? You look like you've seen a ghost." And with that Mikan and Hotaru both turned around to see at what Anna and Nonoko were intently looking at.

There, walking, towards them was Natsume Hyuuga with Ruka Nogi, followed by Kitsune-me and Kokoroyomi. All four of them were casually chatting, and ignoring everybody in the corridor. Kokoroyomi and Kitsune-me were clearly telling something amusing, while Ruka was laughing. Natsume just had a smirk on his face, as she ruffled his hair with his free hand. To any girl, sure, Mikan was certain that he—all of them for that matter looked like a group of Adonis', but to Mikan, all she felt was that feeling from last night. That bad, bad dreading feeling . . . of something terrible was about to happen to her in the future. And she felt that, when her eyes fell upon Natsume Hyuuga.

Natsume coolly walked past all the gaping girls with no intention of looking at any of them. Pushing his silky soft hair back, he continued walking, with his hands deep in his black trousers. He took a deep sigh of annoyance, not only the gawking girls were annoying him, the fact it was a Monday morning annoyed him, including the fact it was the first day of school.

I mean, come on, who likes first days? Especially of school?

Natsume's eyes, which were lazily scanning the corridor, suddenly lost its boredom, and sparkled with interest. His eyes had just landed on the girl from before, the _girl _that had caught his attention. He gazed her face, taking everything in . . . intensely.

And no matter how hard she tried, Mikan had to look up from the floor. And when she did, she met him gaze.

Everything felt as if it was being played in slow motion in Mikan's world. One moment, she was sniffing Nonoko's wrist, inhaling the sweet fragrance of Nina Ricci, the next moment, she was being gazed by Natsume Hyuuga's flaming ruby eyes. She felt as if her whole body was being lit by fire, and she stared right back into his eyes.

She blinked, and the eye contact shattered, when Mikan realised what was going on. Her eyes widened, and she hastily looked at Hotaru, coughed, before pulling her friends away in the opposite direction.

"Damn, what was that about, Natsume?" Koko asked, as he watched the brunette girl and her peng group of friends shuffle away. "It's your wife from before and _damn _you had some _sparks!_"

"Looks like he's found himself a new girlfriend." Kitsune-me added, his grin on his face widening.

"Shut up. Come on; let's go practice . . ." was Natsume's blunt reply. He carried on walking, but from the corner of his eyes, his watched the girl walk farther and farther away.

**0**

"Mikan, he _looked_ at you!" Anna squealed, as she excitedly jumped around. "In a manner that was so arousing, goddamit!"

"What did you feel?" Nonoko asked curiously, but as equally excited as Anna.

"She obviously felt uncomfortable, or else she wouldn't have dragged us to the toilets . . ." Hotaru simply replied, with a hint of amusement in her voice.

"I didn't feel uncomfortable!" Mikan replied, pouting. "I just felt . . . awkward!"

"Idiot, that means exactly the same as uncomfortable!" Hotaru snickered.

"Why didn't you speak to him, Mikan? That could have been your big chance! He obviously thinks you're pretty, or else he wouldn't have _looked_ at you! His eyes were on the floor before he met yours!" Anna said.

"I don't care!" Mikan snapped, "I don't know why, but for some reason, I really dislike that Hyuuga. I just . . . have a bad feeling, okay? I can't describe it."

**0**

The school bell had given a shrill ring, and Mikan was sitting down her desk. She didn't recognise anyone in her class, Nonoko, Anna and Hotaru all had different classes to her.

Mikan had signed up for Pop music classes. Hotaru had signed up for classical music; she had lessons with Jinno.

Good luck, Hotaru.

Both Anna and Nonoko had signed up for Country music, and with their guitars hanging on their backs, left Mikan.

Mikan starting to twirl her pen on her thumb, waiting for her teacher, Reo Mouri to come. Many students were glancing at Mikan, whispering about her behind her back. Mikan, who had always been the oblivious thick type suddenly realised that her fellow classmates were _indeed_ talking about her. She started to fidget with her shiny hair, tugging on the ends for some reason. For the first time in her life, she wished her teacher would get here asap so they could start the lesson—

"Hey! Are you the new girl Mikan Sakura?" a warm voice asked from behind. Mikan jumped in her seat, when she felt the person talking to her tap her shoulder and twirled her head around. Behind her stood a girl with midnight black hair and sparkling ruby eyes. She was indeed very stunning and was one of the most prettiest girls Mikan had ever seen . . .

"Yeah! Hey, I'm Mikan Sakura!" Mikan happily replied to this girl.

"Well I'm glad I met you. I'm Aoi. Mouri Sensei asked me to take care of you since he knew loads of the girls in this class were . . . well, bitchy."

Mikan silvery laughed and replied, "Yeah, I noticed there were only girls in this class, and well all of them, except you of course, look like . . . well, Barbies."

"For the last _two_ years I've been here in the Academy, and my only friends are my roommates, none of my classmates have even _talked_ to me because I'm not like," she turned her head towards them, her eyes rolling a bit, "_that._"

Mikan gave another silvery laugh before saying, "Well, Aoi, I'll be your classmate friend! Nice to meet you! Come sit next to me!"

"You bet!"

And before anyone had noticed, Mikan and Aoi were really good friends, and were chatting about their lives, and their interests. Aoi had found Mikan thoroughly amusing, and Mikan had found Aoi to be one of the sweetest girls she had ever met.

Mouri Sensei had not come yet (Aoi had explained that he was _always _late), and Mikan was now glad that he was fifteen minutes late, it obviously meant more time to talk to Aoi.

"So Mikan do you have any siblings?" Aoi asked.

"Yeah, I have an older brother called Ryo who's a complete pain in the butt." Mikan sighed, as she recalled the look Ryo gave her when she said something remotely odd.

"Funny. I have the same problem. I also have an older brother; he's two years older than us; seventeen, turning eighteen this year. Well what can I say about him? Well, he's an arrogant toerag should summarize it." Aoi replied, her lips thinning by every description of him.

Mikan pouted and said, "Well my brother is obsessed with girls."

Aoi laughed and said, "I think I forgot to say my full name. Mikan, my name is Aoi Hyuuga. Natsume Hyuuga, the school's biggest heartthrob is my brother."

Mikan's eyes started to twitch as she gaped at her new friend. "_What?_"

Aoi's eyes widened and she said, "Woah! _Someone_ clearly knows him!"

Mikan gaping face molded in an amused face and she replied, "Ha ha, very funny. It's just that I can't believe you're that—no offence—rude guy's little sister! I mean the assembly; God, he was so bloody blunt!"

"No offence taken. Because I agree. He hardly talks to me." Aoi admitted, a rather sad tone evident in her voice.

Mikan, who was chewing some Fruity gum, blew bubble and once it popped she said, "He's a bit of a creep too. He looked at me this morning, and—."

"He _looked _at you? Well congratulations Mikan, my dear friend, I think he's after you."

Mikan crinkled her eyebrow and repeated, "After me?"

Before dear Aoi could reply, the door had whooshed open, and in strutted in Mr. Mouri.

Reo Mouri. A man with soft looking ginger hair and tantalizing amethyst eyes. He had the most expensive looking clothing for a teacher—everything he was wearing was from Dolce and Gabbana. And to top it all of, nearly everybody in the class, who were all girls of course, gazed dreamily at their young teacher.

"Good morning class. Sorry I'm late. Hope you all had a good summer." But Reo's voice clearly didn't sound as if he cared if any of them had a good summer, he didn't even wait for a reply, he continued, "As you may have noticed we have a new student in the class. So, new student, please stand and introduce yourself."

Mikan felt her cheeks being glazed with a warm prickly feeling, but shrugged it off and confidently stood up with a beautiful smile on her face. "Hey, I'm Mikan Sakura. I'm fifteen and I'm from Nagoya. Nice to meet you all!"

Mikan hastily sat back down, and started to fiddle with her curly locks, and tried her best to block out the narrowed gazes from her classmates. Aoi on the other hand gave Mikan a reassuring smile, which made Mikan feel a bit better.

"So Mikan Sakura. I was the one who listened to your CD for your entrance application and I thought it was some good stuff. But CD's are dodgy. You could have slightly changed it on a computer, to make your voice sound steadier, or you might have changed your voice completely. In another girl's case, she sent in a CD but it turned out it wasn't even herself who was singing; no it was Britney Spears singing, just slightly changed on GarageBand. So I'm sorry to embarrass you but come up to the front of the class and show us what you've got."

Mikan's eyes widened. She had to sing . . . _now?_ In front of all these people, who clearly did not seem to like new people?

"We haven't got all day." Reo added in a bored tone, as he slouched lazily down on his chair.

"What do you want me to sing?" Mikan asked trying her best to keep her voice clear.

"Anyone suggest anything?" Reo asked with no enthusiasm.

A girl with glossy blonde hair and big blue eyes shot her hand up. Her skirt was way shorter than the other's and her blouse's buttons were undone at the top, giving people a clear view of her red lacy bra. She was continuously batting her long eyelashes, her big blue eyes oozing with a cutesy behaviour.

Her name was Luna Koizumi.

"I have a suggestion Mr. Mouri!" Luna's voice was extremely syrupy and she had a very sweet smile plastered on her face. "Mr. Mouri, I think she should _write_ a song, and at the end of the lesson she should sing it to us! That way, when we kick her out, we'll know that she can't write lyrics _or_ sing!"

Mikan turned around and gaped at this girl. Who the _hell_ did she think she was?

"Well? What do you say, new girl?" Luna demanded, with a smug look on her face. "Think you can do that for us, huh?"

What a bitch.

Hell no she was going to give in! Mikan gave Luna a grin, and cocked her head to the side and replied. "Oh definitely."

"That's decided then. You will start writing your lyrics now," Reo said, looking at Mikan, "and at ten to twelve we will hear your lyrics. Note that you will need a tune for it. And the rest of you I want you to write an essay on the importance of pop music." Reo concluded, as he switched his laptop on which was lazily sitting on his desk.

"Good luck!" Aoi murmured to Mikan as she got a pen out of her pencil case. Mikan gave a smile back and replied, "Thank you!"

She put her pen to her pink lips and let her mind wander. What to right about? Her eyes wandered to Luna's head and she glared at the head hoping it would sizzle up. Then, slowly, a light bulb popped in her head.

"Hey, Aoi, can I ask you something?" whispered Mikan, very quietly so only Aoi could hear her.

"Anything! What's up?" Aoi answered back in a whisper.

Mikan glanced at Mr. Mouri, who had his eyes glued to the screen and while his fingers quickly typed, and looked back at Aoi with her glittering hazel eyes. "Who is that unbelievable excuse of a girl?" Mikan cocked her head towards the direction where Luna was sitting.

"That's Luna Koizumi. She's apparently the prettiest and most popular girl in school," Aoi scoffed, "My stinkin' brother went out with her last year, but broke up with her this year at the beginning of the year for someone else. Anyway, she's filthy rich. Her dad owns a huge company in the US and he's like the 5th Richest Man in three states! She lived in Hollywood when she was young, and I really think she got plastic surgery. She's basically a rich, slutty, playboy bunny. She'll only befriend you if you're wearing _What's In_. And currently she's a single, but it probably won't be long until she steals her best friend's boyfriend."

Mikan beamed at Aoi, and blew her a kiss. "I owe you big time!"

Aoi gave a confused smile in return, but continued her essay, while Mikan pulled her pen lid off and started to scribble down some lyrics, which was bursting to come out from her head. She had the perfect idea, and the perfect topic. She mentally giggled, it was the first time in her life she was writing a song like this and it was so far so good! In less than ten minutes, she had written the first verse and she smile to herself. She still had another hour to finish it.

**0**

It was quarter to twelve and Mikan was fidgeting with her curly locks yet again. Luna gave a smirk when she saw this, she had jumped to conclusion and assumed Mikan was fidgeting with her hair because she had written nothing but a load of crap. But how wrong Luna was. Mikan was merely fidgeting with her hair because she was so goddamn bored. She had finished writing her lyrics about thirty minutes ago.

And Mikan was feeling confident. She felt good, godammit, , and she wished she could bloody sing already.

"Okay girls. Time up. Please pass you essay to the front where I'll collect them. And you," Reo looked at Mikan, "it's time up for you to. Come to the front."

Mikan gave an excited smile and stood up with her lyrics in her hand and walked up to the front of the room, next to Reo's desk.

"I bet her lyrics are going to be worse than Miley Cyrus'.'" Luna nastily whispered to her friend. Her friend snickered back and continued to look at Mikan, a sneer written across her face, almost identical to Luna's.

"Mr. Mouri, do you have a guitar? Because I want to play the guitar while I sing." Mikan explained. "I've written chords to go with my song."

Reo cocked an eyebrow. "Interesting, not many girls can sing while play the guitar, some girls can't even play a guitar. Not to mention you wrote down the chords not even knowing if it will go with your song . . . fascinating." Reo then handed Mikan over a guitar, and she thanked him.

There was a breathless silence, and then Mikan started to strum on the guitar

And then the words came.

_**Dignity by Hilary Duff  
(only imagine simple guitar chords with it though! You can actually find an acoustic version on Youtube, although this dude doesn't sing, just strums.)**_

_You got the hottest shoes  
You got those Jimmy Choo's  
You never get the blues  
It's always all about you_

_Wake up late no time to waste  
Better check that phone  
There's a club too close_

_Where's your, where's your, where's your dignity?  
I think you lost it in the Hollywood Hills  
Where's your, where's your, where's your dignity?  
Can't buy respect, but you can pick up that bill  
Pick it up, pick it up,  
It's all you got, it's all you got,  
Pick it up, pick it up  
'Cause money makes your world go round,  
money makes your world go round_

_Always with Mr. Right (right now)  
But then you have a fight (and he's out)  
Run into your friend's ex  
He's happy to be your next (she won't mind, she won't mind)  
Tomorrow's papers comin' out  
So kiss him fast, watch the cameras flash_

_Where's your, where's your, where's your dignity?  
I think you lost it in the Hollywood Hills  
Where's your, where's your, where's your dignity?  
Can't buy respect, but you can pick up the bill  
Pick it up, pick it up,  
It's all you got, it's all you got,  
Pick it up, pick it up  
'Cause money makes your world go round,  
money makes your world go round_

_You'd show up to the opening of an envelope  
Why does everybody care about where you go  
It's not news when you got a new bag  
It's not news when somebody slaps you  
It's not news when you're lookin' your best_

_Come on Come on Come Come On give it a rest!_

_Pick it up, pick it up,  
It's all you got, it's all you got,  
Pick it up, pick it up  
Cause money makes your world go round  
(where's your, where's your, where's your dignity)  
Money makes your world go round  
(where's your, where's your, where's your dignity)  
Money makes your world go round  
(where's your, where's your, where's your dignity)  
Money makes your world go round  
(where's your, where's your, where's your dignity)  
Money makes your world go round!_

_. . ._

Mikan was thrilled to see her classmates clapping and whooping for her, even the mean looking ones, were now smiling at her, going, "Well done!". Well except for one. Luna Koizumi.

Luna had now just sprouted a growing emotion for Mikan: jealousy. And let's not forget hatred. Luna _hated _not being the centre of attention. She let out an angry huff of breath, and reluctantly clapped with the crowd. She glared at her friend who sitting next to her and who was now whooping at this Nagoya freak.

_Well . . . ex-friend_, she thought, _as soon as class is over I'm going to tell her that she always made me sick and that I don't want to be her friend anymore._

Mikan gave a little curtsey, before she returned the guitar to Mr. Mouri and when back to sit down on her seat.

"You were great!" Aoi squealed as Mikan sat down. "And I could tell who that song was dedicated to . . ." she laughed as she nudged Mikan.

Mikan innocently looked at her and said, "I would never . . ." before she let out a cheeky giggle, "She got what she deserved, she did!"

Aoi gave her a high five and added, "I think Mr. Mouri has taken a liking to you; he looked really impressed by your song."

"Nah . . ." Mikan replied, with a scrunched up nose and a smile. "Really?"

"Honestly, Mikan! I promise! He did look really interested!"

And this was true. Reo had been watching Mikan intently on her performance, and indeed he was impressed. Impressed by her fast work of writing lyrics, her vocal range and enthusiasm to it.

_With a little bit of help, she could easily become a celebrity_, he thought.

Many girls had come to talk to Mikan before the time the bell had rung to Luna's annoyance, and Mikan was glad she had met more people, but considered none of them as friends; the only friend she had found today was Aoi Hyuuga, the younger sister of Natsume Hyuuga.

**0**

Mikan returned to her room to have her lunch, since she can't eat at the cafeteria because of Hotaru's constant refusal of eating in the canteen, and invited Aoi to join her and her friends. She clicked the room door open, and a whoosh of delicious smells filled her nose and she smiled.

"What's cookin'?" Mikan called for a greeting, as she happily held Aoi's hand and pulled her in their room.

"Hey Mikan!" came the twin's reply.

There was no reply from Hotaru, but Mikan knew Hotaru was there because she could hear the piano from the living room playing.

She pushed the living room door open and entered with Aoi. In the living room, Anna and Nonoko were eating their lunch, chicken teriyaki, miso soup, salad and sparkling water, in front of the T.V. while Hotaru was indeed playing the piano. All three of them paused when the saw Mikan's with another friend.

"Guys, this is my new friend Aoi!" Mikan said as Aoi beamed at the three girls.

"Hello Aoi!" came Anna and Nonoko's reply, but Hotaru's gaze was unreadable until she said, "You look familiar."

Aoi smiled, "You've probably seen my brother Natsume Hyuuga."

Anna and Nonoko gaped and both Mikan and Aoi giggled. "Hotaru, you're as clever as ever!"

"I'm Aoi Hyuuga, the younger sister of Natsume Hyuuga, the sister that's cast away in the shadows!" she added light-heartedly, as she shrugged.

"Wow! God, you're beautiful!" Anna commented, as she wolf-whistled. "I say your parents must be so stunning to have such beautiful children as yourself and your brother! They must be so proud!" she exclaimed.

_Actually, the exact opposite of it . . . _Aoi thought to herself, but smiled at the compliment she received nevertheless.

"You close to your brother?"

Aoi shook her head before she answered Nonoko's question, "Nah, not really." _Once, yes._

"Aoi, your brother gazed at Mikan this morning. Like the way I'm gazing at you now," Nonoko paused to give Aoi a very intense gaze, which made the girls all stifle in gigles, "does that mean anything?"

Mikan sighed, "We said we wouldn't talk about that crap anymore it doesn't mean anything—"

"My brother won't look at a girl twice unless he's 'interested' in her.." Aoi concluded, causing Hotaru to cackle slightly in amusement.

Mikan suddenly couldn't help feeling that enormous pit in her stomach again, like the thing she felt when Natsume Hyuuga gazed at her, but this time, she convinced herself she was feeling a pit in her stomach because she was _hungry_.

"I'm starved!" Mikan laughed. "Can I have some teriyaki? Aoi do you want some teriyaki?"

"Why sure!"

The five were now all eating Japanese in front of the T.V. and were talking about their lessons: Aoi explained in great detail what Mikan did, and how well she sang, and Mikan innocently turned pink.

"Awww . . . shucks Aoi!" Mikan giggled.

"Mikan, you showed stupid Koizumi! And she deserved it!" Aoi said happily.

"Yeah Miruku did mention that loads of the girls here were bitchy bimbos . . . well who _is _this Luna Koizumi? What's her problem?" Anna asked Aoi.

Aoi took a gulp of her sparkling water before she continued, "Well, her title is _The Hottest Girl _which I think is the biggest lie I have ever said. She's has had way too much plastic surgery; her body is mostly plastic. Her dad owns a huge company in the USA. To summarize it she's a—"

"Rich, slutty plastic bunny" Mikan finished off.

Aoi nodded in agreement. Hotaru looked plainly disgusted and took a big gulp of her miso soup. "People in Tokyo are mental. How can a girl like _that_ be popular?" Hotaru said, her nose crinkled up.

Aoi laughed and replied, "Well all the boys like her."

Nonoko gasped. "Does your brother like her?"

Aoi's happy face dissolved into a wrinkly face and she muttered, "Yeah he did, that toerag went out with her last year and broke up with her at the beginning of this year."

Anna and Nonoko felt two emotions rush at them. First they were horrified to know that Natsume was once Luna's boyfriend, and the other emotion was relief; they were clearly relieved that they were no longer a couple. But the first emotion was stronger than the second.

"_Whaaaat?_ Natsume Hyuuga went out with the rich, slutty plastic bunny?" Anna and Nonoko demanded in unison.

"Unfortunately yes. Don't ask me what happened because I have no idea, he hardly talks to me." Aoi answered. Both Anna and Nonoko scowled, and sunk deeper into the couch.

"But wasn't Sumire Shouda going out with him?" Hotaru asked, as she now started to devour her chicken teriyaki, but keeping her eyes firmly on Aoi.

"Yeah. He went out with Sumire as soon as he broke up with Luna, or at least that's what I heard. But he dumped Sumire pretty recently. As I said, we don't speak." Aoi explained.

"Sumire is in my class, she plays the violin. And she didn't look like a popular oneto me, she looked depressed and nobody was talking to her." Hotaru commented. "Surely is she's your brother's ex she should get some status?"

"Hmm . . . probably Luna and my brother's fault. You see Luna is also famous for dumping her friends as if they were empty crisps packets. Sumire and Luna were best friends at one point, but I'm guessing as soon as Natsume asked Sumire to be her new girlfriend, Luna probably turned all of the girls against her. And now Natsume's dumped her, I guess she'll have no one." Aoi answered rather grimly.

Mikan scoffed, "That's _sooo_ mean! Hotaru, you've _got to_ befriend her or else she probably end up as a pole-dancer!"

Hotaru snickered while Aoi, Nonoko and Anna laughed out loud. "Pole-dancer?" Hotaru repeated, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

Mikan innocently smiled and replied, "You never know."

**0**

Natsume opened a can of chilled Coke, which was from his mini fridge in his room, and put the can to his smooth red lips. He took a gulp from his Coke, and skimmed his hand through his messy raven hair. He took a deep sigh, and rubbed his temples.

"Hey Natsume, don't be a selfish pig! Pass us some Coke!" Koko joked.

Natsume lazily threw each of his roommates a can of Coke, and returned to sit back down on the couch. He sunk deep into it, and took another deep sigh.

"Natsume, mate, what's troubling you? You look bored and angry." Ruka pointed out, his eyebrows cocked urging him to say whatever was on his mind.

Natsume rolled his eyes and muttered, "Nothing . . ."

"I know what's wrong! You want to see that brunette girl!" Kitsune-me teased, as he cackled with laughter. "You know, his wife-to-be!"

"Piss off." was Natsume's blunt reply.

All three boys snickered and laughed at his answer, but Ruka continued, "Yeah, that's why you can't concentrate on anything! You're thinking about your 'wife'!"

"Aww . . . bless Natsume," Koko cooed mockingly, "Did you and your wife have a little row?"

"Oh will you shut up? You're annoying me." Natsume deeply growled as he took another sip of his Coke.

It was now ten past six, and most of the students were in their rooms just chilling. But these four were actually chilling in their own way; practicing their new song. Natsume, Ruka, Kitsune-me and Koko are in a band—the hottest band in the Alice Academy, and their band, Crimson Abyss, was even known outside of the Academy, mostly thanks to their famous producer and the famous Internet site, Youtube. Some credit could go to their good looks they knew, as most of their fans were teenage girls. Currently, they were discussing their new song, but the annoying thing was Natsume, the bandleader who normally thinks of the titles and lyrics was rather out of it.

"Natsume! Stop daydreaming and stay focused on the lyrics!" Ruka remarked, as he waved a hand in front of his best friend's face. "You're so out if it."

"I'm concentrating." Natsume mumbled back, as he twirled the biro on his finger. But the thing was, as hard as he tried, he just couldn't think on what to write about. Yeah, a song about a girl was the obvious theme for his song, but the song also needed a _plot._

Suddenly was a loud knock on the door, which shattered all four boys concentration immediately. "Probably some fan girl Natsume. You better go answer it." Ruka said with a malicious smile.

Natsume groaned and reluctantly got up from the couch, ignoring the jeering Koko and Kitsune-me. He stumbled over to the door, and clicked the door. And there, standing outside was Aoi Hyuuga, who was holding at least five bouquets of flower, with a scowling face plastered on.

"Before you say anything that might offend me, here," she quickly said as she pushed the bouquets into Natsume's arms. "You're stupid fan girls cornered me as I was getting a drink from the vending machine, and begged me give these to you. I would have said no but when I they offered me money, I agreed. So here I am."

"God, they stink . . . " Natsume murmured as he took a sniff of the flowers.

"Tell me about it." Aoi agreed. Suddenly Aoi's phone started to vibrate and ring, and Aoi hastily flipped her phone open and put her phone to her ear—

"Hello?"

"_It's me, Mikan!"_

Natsume, thinking there was no point thanking his sister as she seemed preoccupied herself, was just about to shut the door, when his ears perked up. That voice on the other side of the line seemed extremely familiar . . . it sounded just like _that girl_.

Instead of closing the door, he widened it, and leaned on the doorway, keeping a bored face on, but listening carefully, intently looking at Aoi's mobile.

"Hey Mikan!" Aoi's cheerful voice answered. She gave her brother a vague wave, and turned around to leave, but was surprised when he brother grabbed her arm, making it impossible to leave. "What the hell, Natsume!" Aoi hissed at her brother, who shrugged in reply.

"_Everything okay, Aoi? Bad timing?"_

"No, I'm fine." Aoi muttered back as she glared at her smirking brother who still had a firm grip on her arm.

"_Well, me and the girlies are having a movie marathon! Wanna join? We're watching _John Tucker Must Die_ right now! You can stay over for a sleepover if you want to!"_

"Yeah! I'd love to!" Aoi happily answered back, no longer glaring, but actually smiling.

"_Well come to our room now, Miss Hyuuga!"_

"Gotcha Miss Sakura! See you in five!" Aoi snapped her phone shut, her face still smiling, and put her phone in her pocket. But then, she looked back at her brother, with a clear frown on her face.

"What the hell, Natsume! Let go!" Aoi demanded.

"Mikan Sakura? Who is she?" Natsume's asked, completely ignoring Aoi's high-pitched whines.

"What the hell, why should I? I owe you nothing, Natsume." Aoi spat, with cold glare plastered on her face. Natsume blinked, all of a sudden a feeling of guilt overcoming him, but he distracted himself . . . he couldn't think of it . . . he couldn't. But with that, Aoi managed to get her brother off her, and was quickly walking down the corridor.

**0**

Natsume slammed the door shut behind him and walked back in the direction of the practice rooms. He finally knew the girl's name—all he had to do was confirm it, and to be honest now that he had a lead, it would be ridiculously easy.

"Who was it?" Ruka asked.

"No one." Natsume replied rather vaguely, not wanting to talk about his sister in front of his friends as it brought . . . _unwanted _memories back to the group of friends. And before his friends could question his vague reply, he devilishly smirked at them, his crimson eyes twinkling.

"So what else happened?" Koko urged, "And don't gimme no bull—I can tell by your eyes!"

"What are you, my mother?" Natsume answered, jokingly, obviously liking holding something against his friends.

"C'mon! Tell us! We can tell something happened if you have that smirk on your face!" Kitsune-me stated.

Natsume chuckled before he looked at his friends and said. "I have a clue on who my wife is. Her name is Mikan Sakura."

**0**

**End of Chapter Three**

**0**


	5. Just Tell Me

**Disclaimer: **No, non, no! I don't own it! :)

**0**

**My Happy Ending  
**_**Written by Little Miss Giggle**_

**0**

**Chapter Four: Just Tell Me**

**0**

_I don't need no superman, with special powers and a fake tan,  
to try and save the day for me.  
Why can't he just let me be?_

**0**

Aoi gave a big yawn as she pulled her bowl of cereal closer to her face. She looked at the dry, crispy-looking gold flakes of cereal and silky white milk. Her nose crinkled, and she lazily pushed the bowl of cereal away from her face. She always hated cereal, the taste was always the same: crunchy yet wet.

Yuck.

It was Sunday morning, and Aoi was totally pooped out.

On Friday night, she slept-over at her new friend's room, where she had a blast! Then yesterday with her new friend's she went shopping around Tokyo, were she bought some new clothes and accessories. And today . . . well she's not having the best day . . . She was back in her room with her roommates and was woken up at 7:00 in the morning by a phone call, and Sunday being her Lazy Day didn't turn out to be such a great Lazy Day.

Not to mention she has to finish her essay about pop music that Mr. Mouri had meanly set the class.

Suddenly, she heard her phone ring again, and she was a hundred percent sure it was the same person who called her this morning to her annoyance. She snatched her phone, which was lazily lying on the kitchen counter, her nose crinkled. She flipped her phone open and put her mobile to her ear. "Hello?" she answered, in a voice both annoyed and nervous.

"_Finally you answered."_

Aoi blinked her eyes and widened them in shock. He was . . . calling her? There was a burst of hope in her, but it was immediately popped . . . he obviously called because he needed something of her. Her eyes narrowed at the thought. "Good morning to you too . . . what do you want?"

"_A date."_

Even though Aoi couldn't see him, an image of his smirking face came to her head. But she was too confused and confused to be irritated. "What?" She asked her whole forehead scrunched up in wrinkles.

"_Being a kind brother, I realised that we haven't been out for brunch together. So move your lazy butt and come down to the bench in front of the school . . . come on, now."_

"What the—" The call had ended before Aoi got to finish her sentence.

**0**

Natsume put his black hood over his head, hoping that none of his crazy fan girls would recognise him. He shoved his hands in his pockets and inconspicuously walked out of the Alice Academy.

The cool wind of Tokyo soothed his skin as he stumbled towards the bench. He groaned as he noticed many girls walking past looking back at him and giggle. God they needed to get a life. He squinted his alluring crimson eyes at the far-distant bench, and just as expected, he saw his little sister sitting on the bench with a furious expression on her face.

"What in the name of Jesus Christ took you so long?" Aoi demanded.

Natsume shrugged in reply. Typical.

"Well for your information, _darling brother,_ I waited here for nearly twenty minutes!" Aoi spat.

"Well, why wait another minute? Let's go." Natsume simply answered, as he calmly walked past Aoi, who was still sitting.

She groaned again, and walked over to her brother—she felt as if she was going to cry any minute, but she desperately kept it in; a few days ago, yes he might have said a word to her, but now he wanted to for _brunch? _After nearly of not talking to her at all? .

"What the hell is your problem Natsume? Why did you call me, you_ never_ call me–heck how do you even _know_ my number? Are you scheming something? Is this the part where you get your gun out and shoot me?"

"No." Natsume answered. ". . . Just wanted to have brunch with you."

Aoi hopefully looked at him . . . but then her crimson eyes narrowed. "Mmhmm, yeah, convincing. The problem is that _I_ don't believe you. The hell Natsume? You don't speak to me—don't seem like you _want _people to know we're even related for flip's sake and _now _you want to talk? Yeah right! What are you planning? Are you going to—" Then it hit Aoi. She got why Natsume had invited her to brunch. Why didn't she see it before? She shook her head in disappointment; of course he didn't want to go out with her to talk about the past . . . she shouldn't have got her hopes up. "I get it. You want to ask me questions about Mikan Sakura, don't you?" Aoi asked, glancing at her brother with a triumphant grin on her face.

Her brother's face stayed expressionless and bored, but his crimson eyes swiveled in her direction. "Come on, walk faster, or else that stupid group of girls are going to come and get me." Natsume urged and he indicated a cluster of girls standing a few steps away from them.

Aoi snorted before replying, "Sorry but no can do. I can't help you. Because . . . well she already thinks you're a cocky, rude, conceited, playboy, stubborn idiot. Sorry."

Natsume's bored face turned into a smirk. "Well that's why, Aoi_ dearest,_ I have you. You are going to convince her that I am a . . ." he grinned, "sex god."

"No way! As if I would do that!" Aoi angrily responded, scowling. "And for the record, you don't have me. I'm going back. See you." She added, and turned back, but was stopped by Natsume's firm grip on her wrists.

"You're coming with me." Natsume bluntly said, as he dragged her to a random restaurant, whilst—"Let – me – go!" Aoi whined, and protested, as she tried her best to break free from his strong grasp.

Natsume, totally unaffected by her whining, pinches and slaps, opened the entrance of the restaurant, and pulled Aoi in with him.

"Table for two. For the brunch." Natsume smoothly said to the waiter even before the he had managed to say anything. The waiter hastily nodded, and lead Natsume and the struggling Aoi to a table of in the corner, which looked like an ideal spot for a couple.

"Just so you know, he's my brother, not my boyfriend." Aoi coolly informed to the waiter, as she glared at her brother.

So much for hoping he had changed back.

The waiter paused and looked at them with a confused smile. "Oh! I thought you vere a coople! I am verie sorrie." He replied with a French accent.

"It's fine. Just get us the menu." Natsume replied, looking at the waiter in a way that it was obvious he was hinting him to leave now. The waiter bowed and shuffled away rather gladly from the hostile customer that had just entered.

Natsume turned his attention back to Aoi. He sighed before he started, "Listen—"

"No! I am not going to listen, nor I am going to help you! All you're going to do to poor Mikan is make-out with her for one day, and the next day break her heart! I've seen you screw so many bitches' lives Natsume, and yeah they deserve it, but _Mikan_. She deserves the best."

"What bitches, eh? Name them." Natsume replied.

"They're billions of them—it's like asking me to point out every star in the bloody universe." Aoi replied, as she crossed her arms over he chest, with an angry scowl on her face.

"Aoi, you're wrong . . ." he had almost a hurt look on his face, but before Aoi could observe it, Natsume continued, "Just tell me _something._ About your friend."

Aoi roughly shook her head from side to side and bit out, "No."

"Aoi, come on, be a sai—"

"She has a boyfriend goddamit! Okay I said something!" Aoi cried—well, she _lied. _She knew perfectly well that Mikan was single; Mikan had ranted on that Friday evening how she had never had a boyfriend and how she feared she was never going to get married a be a cat lady. Aoi just wanted to shut her brother up, not to mention see his reaction.

His reaction?

Natsume's crimson eyes both narrowed, and he pushed his hair back, and clicked his tongue. "That's annoying." He growled. "So who is the—"

"You'rre menuz . . ." The waiter informed, shoving two tattered looking menus' into their hands. Aoi smiled at him and thanked him while Natsume just curtly nodded. As soon as he was out of sight Natsume continued, "Who is he?"

" . . . He lived in Mikan's old city, Nagoya, so you don't know him." Aoi slowly replied, hoping her lie sounded convincing enough. She couldn't help but mentally snicker when she saw results: Natsume was scrunching up his napkin. Bingo.

**0**

"Where the hell did Natsume go?" Ruka loudly asked his roommates, as he peeped into the kitchen to see if Natsume was in there. "On such an important Sunday?"

"I bet he's with a babe . . . " Kitsune-me mumbled back as he double-checked Natsume wasn't in his bed.

"_Natsssummee__!_ Where are you? Come out come out wherever you are!" Koko childishly called, as he checked the same toilet for the fifth time.

It was 11:00am, and all three boys were looking for the notorious Natsume Hyuuga. They all woke up ten minutes ago, to find no Natsume. And they definitely needed the band leader on The-Day-They-Are-Going-To-Meet-Their-New-Manager day.

"Maybe he's writing the lyrics now in a small coffee shop . . . " Ruka suggested; he _hoped._ But his voice and his face were etched with doubt.

"Not to make you guys go mental or anything, but our soon-to-be manager is coming in thirty minutes." Kitsune-me said as he checked his watch.

"Have you tried his mobile?" Koko asked Ruka who nodded in reply and added, "He didn't bring his mobile. I rang it, and found it on the kitchen table."

"Well he's a clever little piece of idiot isn't he? I mean, why ever _bother _to _have _a phone if you're not going to use it—" Kitsune-me was busy saying when the three of them heard the door click open. The three looked at each other for a second, and at the same time sighed in relief.

"'S'up?" Came Natsume's bored voice, as he dropped his keys on the living room couch. "Is our manager here yet?"

"And we thought you completely abandoned us . . . " Koko childishly gushed, as he put his hand to heart for effect. "You _do _care!"

Natsume cocked his eyebrows, before sinking in the velvet couch, and he sighed, closing his eyes.

"Did you finish the lyrics?" Ruka asked Natsume. His nose crinkled as he watched his best friend do or say nothing. Something was clearly on his mind; something was bothering him.

"I want to scratch my lyrics." Natsume finally said, sitting up on the couch, his eyes now wide open. He was leaning forward, with his fingers lightly latched together, as he stared blankly ahead of him, his brain whizzing with ideas.

"Oka—Wait, what? Scratch the lyrics? But Natsume the manager's coming today—" Ruka remarked, but stopped when he saw Natsume's stubborn glare casted towards him. He sighed, "Alright, you're the boss . . ."

"Natsume, what's up your arse? You look . . . dead." Kitsune-me commemed, as he slumped down on the velvet couch next to Natsume.

"Nothing." Natsume growled back, almost instantly. The three all exchanged knowing glances. Something was definitely wrong with Natsume, punching him lightly in the shoulder.

"Tell us! Give us a hint!" Koko urged, and then he gasped as if he had just discovered that the world was round, "I know! It's about your wife, Mikan Sakura! What happened with her? Did you talk to her?"

The three boys eagerly waited for an answer, and finally Natsume groaned and said, "Fuck this: she already has a boyfriend."

"Owch. Who?"

"This guy from Nagoya or something." Natsume answered, as he pushed his hair back, shrugging.

"That sucks—_damn!_ I think I'm the new Einstein! You're new lyrics are going to be about Mikan Sakura aren't they?" Kitsune-me excitedly guessed.

Natsume gave a mischievous smirk and vaguely replied, "Maybe." With a more confident look on his face he added, "No boy has ever stopped me to get a girl, so this should be easy enough." All boys exchanged amused glances at each other, as Natsume was lazily gazing out the window once more.

"You know, you are one cocky bastard Natsume." Koko joked.

Natsume shrugged, and didn't bother looking at Koko; he kept gazing outside and replied, "When I want something, I'll stop at nothing to get it."

"Ooooh, that's deep." Kitsune-me teased, as he laughed.

All four boys talked a bit more, before having a warm mini-cup of espresso to wake them up fully, and after the last sip of their warm espresso, there heard a small knock on the door.

"Aha. Now _that _must be our manager." Koko said in a posh accent. He put his mini-cup down, and excitedly walked over to the front door. He looked back to see his friends/band mates behind him, and with a happy grin on his face, he clicked the door open.

"Why, hello! You must be our new manager!" Koko joyfully said, well a bit too joyfully, he sounded like an English businessman. But what surprised all four boys was the manager himself. He seemed meek and shy, and was pretty much shaking from head to toe. Natsume narrowed his eyes, and cocked his eyebrow. Never had he seen a manager so small, and so . . . _weak-looking._ All his other managers were bad-asses who got fired because they had a drug problem. This guy looked as if he had never seen, let alone even heard of drugs.

"H-Hello . . . My name is Tobita Yu-Yuu . . . um . . . I think I'm your new manager . . . You're Natsume Hyuuga and his band mates, right?" He nervously said.

"I want to say I'm not, but unfortunately I am." Natsume answered back, giving Yuu the You've-Got-To-Be-Kidding-Me look. Yuu gingerly nodded, and Ruka kindly invited him into their living room, but he couldn't help think 'are you serious?'.

There was silence as Yuu sat down on the couch. The new manager was a shocker, how could such a twitching nervous guy be the manager of the hottest band in the Academy? This had to be a joke . . . right?

**0**

**End of Chapter**** Four**

**0**


	6. Him

**Disclaimer: **Nah, I don't own Alice Gakuen … but maybe someday … nah, I never will : )

**My Happy Ending  
**_**by Little Miss Giggle**_

**0**

**Chapter Five: Him**

**0**

_I don't need no superman, with special powers and a fake tan,  
to try and save the day for me.  
Why can't he just let me be?_

**0**

"Maybe a drink?" Ruka offered their new manager Tobita Yuu.

They still couldn't believe this was their manager – this had to be a mistake! – Managers were supposed to wear some cool clothes, some shades, and talk bluntly, but _nooo!_ This guy wore clothes, which looked like from a charity shop, and shades? Try Harry Potter glasses, maybe? And did he know how much he stuttered when he spoke? Definitely not _blunt. _

"Erm . . . Drink? Oh . . . d-drink . . . Water maybe?" Tobita Yuu replied, while vigorously nodding.

"Go get it Koko." Natsume curtly commanded, while he flickered his crimson eyes to the sneering sandy-haired boy. Koko blinked before his teasing face melted into a _why-me_ face, along with a pout, but without further ado, he turned to the kitchen. After all, he could see how pissed Natsume looked by one glance. He was obviously not happy with the new manager Persona had sent them.

Currently, Yuu was wiping his hands with a Wet Wipe he had just got out from his pockets rather clumsily. Ruka raised his eyebrows, while Natsume slithered towards him and hissed in a low voice, "Is this a joke?"

Ruka shrugged, "Dunno. Hope so. Thing is, I don't really think Persona is someone who jokes . . ."

Kitsune-me had taken the funny side of things, and mentally had a laughing fit when he saw Tobita Yuu blow his nose loudly and apologize, "Sorry . . . hay fever." He sneezed again. Natsume narrowed his eyes; he could have sworn he saw a green blob fly across the room and land on his hoodie.

Koko came back seconds later, holding a cup of water for Yuu, and lazily passed it at Tobita Yuu, "Here ya go."

"Why thank you! Thank you very much!" Tobita Yuu joyfully replied, smiling. Koko answered back with a goofy grin before he took a seat down on the couches.

Once Tobita Yuu had taken a sip of his water, Natsume asked, "You really our manager?" while eyeing him with his crimson eyes. He inwardly cringed; this guy was wearing sandals, which showed his plaster-covered feet.

Tobita Yuu nodded, "Well if this it the band_ Crimson Abyss_, then yes! I am!"

"Great." Natsume replied, as his mouth curved up into an obviously sarcastic smile. Kitsune-me laughed and purposely commented, "What's got your boxers in a twist, Natsume? Still thinking about _her_? Or are you just disappointed with our newmanager?"

Natsume shot him a glare and turned to look at Tobita Yuu, who suddenly looked really embarrassed and sad; he was fidgeting, his hands were playing in his laps, lapping around each finger as he bit his unmoisturized lip. Natsume groaned and raked his finger through his hair, sighed, before he said, "Tobita Yuu. You look like a nice guy and all, but our band really want a manager who gets scared by a fly."

"But flies are really dangerous!" Tobita Yuu frantically piped up, "They're really unhyge—"

"I'm sorry but I don't really care. I don't know what _he's _playing at, sending you to be our manager, but I don't think you would really fit being our manager. There are loads of other bands in the Academy if you're interested. Koko could introduce you to some." Natsume offered as he shrugged.

His words were followed by an awkward silence.

Natsume, totally unaffected by it, stood up from the velvet couch, and started to make his way out as he and said, "I'm going down to the—"

"I was assigned to this band by Persona because I was told that you can't rock hard enough." Tobita Yuu explained. "He stated that you have to be ready to face the world as you're leaving the Academy this year. And to do that, he thought best to assign me."

Natsume stopped walking, and snapped his head back to Tobita Yuu with a hard look on his face. "Rock hard enough?" he repeated his eyes narrowed. "And you're saying _you _can?"

Tobita Yuu sighed. "Don't judge a book by its cover."

Natsume smirked before he said, "Show us what you got then."

**0**

Aoi was walking through the school corridors, humming an unfamiliar tune. To observers, she looked happy and bubbly today, but to people who knew her well, could tell she was a tad bit annoyed. Her lips were pouted out, and her big crimson eyes were unnaturally thin. She was clutching a can of Coke, as she kept walking, and then she turned a corner, which led her up a flight of stairs. She had to see somebody; somebody she had gotten into a bit of a . . . mess. She needed to see Mikan Sakura, to tell her what had happened today with her brother at brunch.

Once she had reached their door, she could smell a sweet aroma of what smelt like waffles, and could hear giggles and laughs from inside. The smell and sound of happiness made her pout change into a mellow smile. She knocked on the door, "Hey! It's me, Aoi!"

There was a squeal of excitement from inside, and the door clicked open, and there stood Mikan Sakura, in her nightie, with a bubbly smile on her face. Even in the fricking morning she looked good; her hair was tied up in a loose side-plait, and even with no make-up, her lips looked red, and her skin was flawless. God, she could really see why her moronic brother liked her.

"Aoi!" She happily chirped as she hugged her, "We're having breakfast! Care to join?"

Aoi smiled, "Love to."

Mikan twirled her head around, "Guys! Little Miss Hyuuga is here to join us for breakfast! So Anna, make so more waffles, eh?" Mikan curled her warm pink fingers around Aoi's and pulled her into the room.

"Lovely to see you Aoi! Tuck in!" Anna called, as she walked over to the dining table with a plate of smoking waffles in her hands. "Careful, they're piping hot!"

"They look great!" Aoi complimented, as she stared at the food in awe. She sat in between the grumbling Hotaru, who had clearly woken up on the wrong side of the bed, and Nonoko, who was telling Mikan about her mum.

"My mama used to always say: _If I ate chocolate for every time you made me smile, my butt would be the size of Texas!_ Haha, lord bless our mama!" Nonoko sighed while Mikan giggled, "That's one sweet mum you got there!"

"So Aoi," Hotaru smoothly said, "What brings you here? I can tell you have to say something by your expression. . . " Her amethyst eyes were looking at Aoi intently as she poured herself a steaming cup of tea. Aoi felt as if she was being observe and analyzed by Hotaru; under her scrutiny, she felt like an open book.

"She came to compliment my waffles, what else?" Anna joked, as she popped an empty glass in front of Aoi, "Help yourself to some juice, sweetie."

Aoi thanked Anna but then turned back to Hotaru, "Hotaru, you are one genius." Aoi smiled. "I do have a reason for being here—"she turned her gaze to Mikan who had a mouthful of waffle in her mouth, "—my brother, asked to see me today for brunch. He wanted to talk about you, Mikan."

Mikan abruptly choked on her waffles, and Anna lightly smacked her back continuously, until Mikan could breath again. She gulped down some orange juice, before she slammed her cup down and demanded, "What? What do you _mean?_ What did he ask?"

Aoi bit her lip rather guiltily as she recalled the incident . . .

**. . .**

"_Aoi, come on, be a sai—"_

"_She has a boyfriend goddamit! Okay I said something!" Aoi cried—well, she __lied. She knew perfectly well that Mikan was single; Mikan had ranted on that Friday evening how she had never had a boyfriend and how she feared she was never going to get married a be a cat lady. __Aoi just wanted to shut her brother up, not to mention see his reaction. _

_His reaction?_

_Natsume's crimson eyes both narrowed, and he pushed his hair back, and clicked his tongue. "That's annoying." He growled. "So who is the—"_

"_You'rre menuz . . ." The waiter informed, shoving two tattered looking menus' into their hands. Aoi smiled at him and thanked him while Natsume just curtly nodded. As soon as he was out of sight Natsume continued, "Who is he?"_

" _. . . He lived in Mikan's old city, Nagoya, so you don't know him." Aoi slowly replied._

**. . .**

"Judging by your face, I can tell you did something you regret." Hotaru simply observed. She dipped a biscuit into her tea, and fished it out, and popped it in her mouth. "So tell us, what did you say?"

Aoi sighed and gave Mikan an apologetic look.

"I told him you had a boyfriend who lived in Nagoya."

There was an awkward silence, but Mikan's slivery laugh broke it. "That's it? And you were worried about that? Aoi, I'm glad you told that him that; hopefully he'll stay away now! Praise the Lord—Amen."

Mikan focused back on eating her waffle, but then Aoi added in a grim tone, "Mikan . . . I think because I said that, he's more interested in you."

There was another round of silence before Hotaru scoffed as she rolled her eyes. "What kind of twisted mind does he have?" Hotaru commented, while she rolled her eyes.

"At the time I thought it was a good idea to say it; I wanted him to shut his mouth, and I thought the best way was to tell him you were already taken … not to mention I also wanted to see his reaction when I told him you already had a boyfriend." Aoi guiltily confessed.

"What was his reaction?" Anna asked, completely engrossed in the conversation.

"Well, he was ripping up the napkin . . . He wanted to know who this guy was."

"And you answered?"

"That he lived in Nagoya, so Natsume wouldn't know him. If I dared said a name that he knew, he would have probably gone to beat him up; why else would he ask the name of the guy?" Aoi concluded as she sighed, "Sorry Mikan. Things in life with my brother might have stepped up a notch."

Mikan groaned and she slapped her forehead. "Honestly, what is wrong with him? A normal guy would back away if he knew that the girl he wanted was already taken but _nooooo_ he just had to be some creepy guy, who now wants to beat this . . . _this imaginary_ boyfriend up, eh?" H"

"I'm sorry Mikan." Aoi repeated. "I totally regret it now."

Mikan turned to Aoi and smiled, "It's not your fault! Quit apologizing – it's making me embarrassed! – just eat! We'll talk about him some other time . . . when I'm not eating preferably."

**0**

"Pardon?"

"I said, show us what you got. I'll enjoy the show." Natsume replied, as he turned on the balls of his feet and mae his way back to the couch. He felt Ruka nudge his ribs and they both exchanged an amused glance.

This should be a rave . . .

"Erm . . . o-okay. Can I have an electrical guitar please?" Yuu timidly asked.

Natsume nodded before he pointed, "See that door there? All the instruments are in that room."

Yuu gave a quick nod in comprehension and scuttered inside the room. After a few moments (where the boys all whispered about Tobita Yuu), he came out with an amp, and one of Natsume's electric guitar. Natsume narrowed his eyes and made a mental note to check if his guitar was still tuned after this .

Yuu plugged in the plug and turned to amp on. He connected his guitar to the amp, and for some weird reason turned the volume not to the highest, but dead in the middle. Yuu sighed, "Here goes . . . "

. . .

"Oh my fucking lord."

Yuu was bloody amazing. Even if the volume wasn't on the highest, it was still loud and clear and was _insane_. His fingers were a blur he was strumming so fast, and his fingers moved smoothly; not to mention the sound produced was wicked. Yuu's face was red, and beads of sweat trickled down his face. But the sound was mind-blowing.

Koko and Kitsune-me's amused face had melted into a shocked yet awed face, "Woah . . . this guy . . . "

Ruka, who had very high doubts about his guy just gaped, his mouth wide open. As soon as he had started to play, Natsume's smirk had melted into a curious face; his eyes narrowed and he rested his chin on his palm. He gazed at Tobita Yuu . . . How was it that Tobita Yuu was so damn good at playing the guitar? Even worse, better than him and his band mates? Natsume normally put his amp on the fullest, and this guy, was only doing half of what he normally does, but the sound was more . . . _PHWOOARR-_ing!

Yuu had ended on a very echoing chord, and was panting as he put the guitar down, leaning it against his leg. He put the guitar pick on a stool by him and he finally looked up, "Well?"

There was a pause.

"That was fucking amazing–no way!–how d'you do that? Why aren't you in a band? More like why aren't you in the Battle Of The Bands? Why be a manager when you can play like that?" Koko showered him with questions. Kitsune-me nodded in agreement and echoed, "Yeah! Why?"

Ruka was too dazed to say anything, and just kept his mouth shut, and his gorgeous blue eyes wide open. Natsume had also nothing to say, not because he was dazed, but because he was deep in thought. Natsume's eyes were firmly on Yuu as he continued to rub his lip with his thumb.

"I can play like that because I practiced everyday since the age of five. I'm not in a band, because nobody wants me in their band—"

"Huh? Why? Have they heard you?" Kitsune-me demanded, his eyes widened with shock.

Yuu sighed, "Yeah, but with my appearance it doesn't make many bands want me—"

"Have you _seen _Mick Jagger?"

"Yeah, Mr. Jagger is . . . not the best looking of people, but he's got the whole bad-boy thing going on. And strangely some sex appeal. So do you guys. While I . . . well, let's just say I don't. Not me, a guy who enjoys spending his time reading Harry Potter, and a guy whose never talked to a girl before—"

"What? Never talked to a—"

"That's off the point Koko. Please continue." Ruka interrupted, as he looked at Yuu, while Koko muttered something under his breath.

"Thank you . . . Carrying on, I'm not in the Battle Of The Bands because I know nobody will vote for me, because of my attitude and appearance. Besides, I've decided to be a manager because that way I can pass my skills to my band, hoping to get some credit some day. Managers aren't allowed to compete in the Battle anyway. Not to mention I don't technically go to this school—Mr. Persona hired me to come here." Yuu finished.

There was an awkward silence.

"What's the use of having such talents and hiding it?" Natsume said as he pushed his hair back, causing all of them to look up at him. "Spiderman said 'With great power comes great responsibility.' And _I_ fucking say, 'With great talent comes great responsiblity.' You've got potential. And why be scared of what the world would say about you? Everybody hates Miley Cyrus but even so, life goes on for her and she gets more and more money put into her bank account, despite the fact we all wished she would just disappear. Someone insults you, well, screw them. Not everybody judges on appearance."

"You did." Yuu slyly answered. "You thought I couldn't play because of my appearance and attitude—"

"And I was proved wrong." Natsume interrupted with a small smile on his face. "And I was impressed."

Tobita Yuu's sad face changed into a bright face, and he gave a goofy smile to Natsume in thanks. For some reason, Natsume's words really stung him, in a good way. For a slight moment, Natsume gave a boyish grin in return, but his face soon changed into his usual bored face and he looked at his band mates. "I feel rather stupid now after those words . . ." he muttered, earning a round of snorts and laughter.

"Do you accept me as your new manager?" Yuu asked.

Ruka raised an eyebrow, "You sure you would rather be a manager than a band member?"

Yuu nodded in reply.

Koko smiled, "If ya say so, then o'course!"

"Agreed."

"Hear hear!"

"Yeah."

Yuu's face cracked into a joyful smile again, and he clapped his hands. "First thing is first! So the First Round of the competition is going to be held in a month. So we need to organize: genre, lyrics, theme and clothes. Lyrics you will write, and I will help with the music . . . my lyrics always turn out cheesy . . . Anyway! So who normally writes the lyrics in the band?"

"I do." Natsume replied.

Yuu smiled and said, "What have you got so far? You're genre is? Any dedications?"

Natsume clicked his tongue beofre he replied, "Not much. Started them like two minutes before you came. Genre . . . don't know yet. Dedications . . ." Natsume's lips turned up into a wolfish smile, and Ruka thumped him on this back. "You are _sick_ Natsume!"

All the boys laughed, except for poor Yuu who had no idea whatsoever on what was going on. If only he knew Natsume's mind was currently occupied by the beautiful girl he sat next to in the opening assembly.

**0**

After he girls had finished their yummy late breakfast they had decided to go for a stroll in the park to talk. They had decided to go walk in the closest park, which was the famous park Hibiya Kouen. Hibiya Kouen was the park near Ginza, close to the Imperial Palace, and of course the Alice Academy.

The afteroon still was crisp and fresh. The sun was unusually timid and a pale yellow colour, but was nevertheless still bright and warm. The fluffy puffs of clouds lazily strolled through the baby blue sky, and little bumblebees buzzed through the air as the birds chirped. Mikan's contagious laugh could also be heard, as she was walking through the paths with her friends.

"Ice-cream van in sight! Come on guys, let's go get some!" Anna squealed. Everybody "Ooooh"-ed in excitement before they all nodded, and made ttheir ways to the ice-cream van, which was playing the usual babyish music which signaled the arrival of the van.

"Alright girlies?" The man at the van asked.

"I'll have Bubblegum flavour!" Anna said.

"Blueberry flavour for me!" Nonoko said.

"Cherry flavour please!" Aoi cried.

Mikan pouted and crinkled her nose, " . . . I don't know! They all look so good . . . hmmm . . . Can I have the orange sorbet?" The man gave her a nod reply and turned to Hotaru, "And you?"

" . . . Crab Ice Cream." Hotaru stoically replied. There was an awkward silence but then Mikan pulled a face, "Ew! Crab? Is there such thing as Crab Ice Cream? Yuck, Hotaru!"

"I like Crab . . . and it does exist, right, sir?"

"Not many people buy it–heck, you're my first!–but yeah, it does exist. That would 500 Yen all together please." The man replied. The girls thanked the man after they handed their money, and hungrily licked their lips when they got their ice-creams, and almost immediately indulged it.

"Hey let's go sit down in the grass over there and talk! The sunshine looks perfect there!" Nonoko suggested. Everybody nodded in agreement, and Mikan linked arms with Hotaru who bluntly said, "Wanna taste?" hinting to her _lovely_ ice-cream.

Mikan looked at Hotaru's crab ice cream and gulped. "Uhh . . . I'll pass!"

"Suit yourself."

Mikan smiled as she sat down on the warm grass. It was prickly, yet nuzzly, and just made you wanna roll in it. She sighed as she admired the view. The ponds were beautiful, and just looking at old couples walking together made her smile, and wish that someday she'll find someone who she could spend the rest of her live with. Sure, she disliked Tokyo because it was so . . . modern, but places like these, she loved. She loved big parks which was filled with nothing but greenery. "You know, life would be so much better if it was always like this." Mikan commented, as she stretched her arms.

"Careful idiot, you'll drop you're ice-cream if you're too careless."

Mikan answered, "Don't worry, I won't! I'm not a baby, Hotaru!"

Nonoko and Anna laughed in sync, and Aoi sweetly giggled.

"Guys!" Anna excitedly cried, "Let's play truth or dare!"

Mikan crinkled her nose and asked, "Now? In the middle of a park?"

"Course! It's better in the public! Although, must admit doing Truth or Dare in a department store it the best—anyway! Let's get started! Who's going first?" Anna asked. She shifted her eyes through her friends and she smiled.

"Hotaru, truth or dare?"

"Truth." Hotaru simply replied.

"Chicken . . . Anyway . . . hmm . . . have you ever stuffed your bra?"

Mikan snorted and Aoi laughed at the question. Hotaru raised her eyebrow, but easily replied, "Once." which caused Anna, Nonoko and Aoi to gasp in disbelief and Mikan to throw her head back and roll on the grass with laughter. "Ahaha! Good times!"

Hotaru glared at her and said, "Guess what, Mikan? Because I got the question, it's my turn to choose someone now. And I chose you. Truth or dare, Mikan?" Hotaru challenged.

Mikan opened her mouth then closed it. Truth or dare? Which one? Say truth and maybe one of her most embarrassing story will have to be revealed and if one says dare, this was Hotaru Imai we are talking about, so of course she would have some malicious ideas up her sleeves. But then she confidently smiled.

"Dare!" she boldly declared.

Hotaru Imai maliciously smirked, "Mikan Sakura. I dare you, for the first round of the Battle Of The Bands Competition, to write a song to Natsume Hyuuga. And in this song, you have to act as if you are completely and utterly attracted to him. That's my dare to you."

The friends gasped.

Mikan gaped.

If only Hotaru knew that this _dare _could do what it did, she probably would have never dared her to do that.

**0**

End of Chapter Five

**0**

**A/N:** Crab Ice Cream Flavour? Believe it or not guys, it does truly and utterly exist! Oh and **500 Yen**? Please, that's so cheap! 100 Yen in Japan is **50 pence** (which is about **1 USA dollar**)! : ) My mama told me!

I'll try update soon!


	7. A Slobbery Kiss

**Disclaimer: **Ahhh, you are such silly billys! Do I own Alice Gakuen? Well of course! … I don't. : )

**0**

**My Happy Ending  
**_**By Little Miss Giggle**_

**0**

**Chapter Six: A Slobbery Kiss**

**0**

_I don't need no superman, with special powers and a fake tan,  
to try and save the day for me.  
Why can't he just let me be?_

**0**

"As you all know, the first round of The First Music Competition is in two weeks time. Students who haven't entered and wish to, please come get an entering form from me," Reo said as he strolled around the classroom, "and personally, I would like each and every one of you to enter. My hopes are that somebody in _my _class will win this competition."

The class started to buzz with quiet discussions.

"Mr. Reo, have no fear! You have me in your class!" Luna commented in her over the top sugary voice. Aoi rolled her eyes and lazily yawned as she stretched her neck. To be truly and utterly honest, she didn't really want to enter the competition, it's not like singing was her biggest dream; hell she was sure she wouldn't have gotten into the school if they didn't know she was Natsume Hyuuga's younger sister. Aoi had a dream to design—to be in fashion!

Aoi cocked to her head in thought and decided instead of entering she could help somebody? Somebody like Mikan? She twirled her head to her classmate and said, "Hey Mikan–woah!" she blinked in surprise at the brunette, "– what's up Mikan? You look dead!"

Mikan banged her head on her desk as she sobbed, "My lyrics I was writing has gone to waste because of Hotaru's stupid dare!"

Aoi nervously laughed, "Don't worry Mikan, it's only _one_ song you have to dedicate to my brother!" She patted Mikan's back, but Mikan's dark aura did not lift. "And not to mention nobody has to _know _you dedicated the song to him!" Aoi helpfully added.

Mikan lifted her head, stared at Aoi's big crimson eyes with her glittery hazel eyes and said, "Is there any way I could back out on this dare? I mean come on!—A song for Natsume Hyuuga? I don't even _know _the guy! And if I was going to write one, I would write how I think he should treat girls with respect, but I have to write a song of affection to him?" She groaned in despair.

"What do you got so far?" Aoi asked.

"This loada crap." Mikan sighed, as she pushed a piece of paper towards Aoi. Aoi picked it up, and quickly scanned through it, and her mouth curved into a smile, "This isn't some crap. It's actually pretty good! Except," she giggled, "it's quite amusing to think this about my brother."

"I hate Hotaru's evil side . . . Hey, Aoi, what have you got so far? What are your lyrics about?" Mikan asked, changing the depressing mood completely to a rather curiously excited one. Aoi's lip scrunched up to the side and she made a popping sound with her lips before answering, "I don't plan to enter."

Mikan's red lips gaped open in disbelief, and she asked, "What? Why not?"

"Sure I can sing. But not _exceptionally _well; just average. I would prefer to be a fashion designer. The only reason I got in this school was because of my brother. My brother is _famous_ in the music world for Christ's sake! So I guess the academy assumed I was just as good as him so they let me have a place."

Mikan tilted her head to the side, with a rather confused look on her face as she questioned, "If you want to be a fashion designer then why are you in the Alice Academy? Isn't that kind of like wasting your time?"

Aoi bit her lip, before she shrugged. "I-I . . . just did, I guess." She replied rather vaguely.

Mikan nodded, even though she sensed that wasn't the full story, but nevertheless she didn't press on it, instead she turned to gaze out the window in thought. Suddenly she felt a light bulb light up and she gasped. "Aoi! I just had a perfect plan! Why don't we work together? You can design my costumes for me for the competitions! What do you say?" Mikan asked, but her excited face died down a bit when she saw Aoi's surprised face, her eyebrows risen and her mouth open. ". . . Maybe not." Mikan added.

Aoi's blinked before she laughed, "Are you kidding? _Maybe not?_ Of course! That would be so fun!"

"Yeah!" Mikan squealed, "And let's say I _do _win—which is totally unlikely but—then if I do, we can split the money!"

"50-50? Oh no Mikan, that's too much for me—"

"Oh come on! We half it! Fifty-fifty!" Mikan protested, with a determined look on her face.

Aoi smiled and nodded and said, "Thanks Mikan . . . Deal?" Aoi drew out her open hand, and Mikan smiled and pulled her hand out and shook it, as she confirmed, "Deal!"

"So," Mr. Reo continued, "today I shall be telling you about the Competition. Of course you have already heard the basic rules from Mr. Prince, but I shall be explaining it fully. In total, there will only be five rounds. Each round will have a genre you would have to complete, for example the second round's genre is to write a song about bunnies—this is of course made up—and there will be five judges. Five being myself, Narumi, Serina, Jinno and Mr. Prince. We will be marking each performance out of ten. Of course, there is no chosen genre for the first round. And it is against the rules to sing an existing song. You will have to come up with the lyrics and music on your own or with your group. This goes for people playing instruments too. People who do get to the last round, will be performing in Tokyo Dome, in front of people who do not necessary have to be in this school."

"You mean, in the last round there maybe some random people who don't go to the Academy in the crowd?" One of Luna's goons asked.

"Yes."

"Sweet!"

"How many students will you be eliminating in the first round?" Mikan asked, as she put her hand up.

"Depends on how many crap performances there are." Mr. Reo bluntly replied, as the girls giggled and tittered. Aoi rolled her eyes once more at them, and turned to Mikan and said, "Okay, do you mind if I come to your room after lessons to check your sizes for me to make your costumes?"

"Sure." Mikan replied with a warm smile on her face.

A girl called Sayaka put her hand up and asked, "Mr. Reo, I'm just wondering, how will somebody playing an instruments—let's say the drums—be able to convey the genre of, you're example, the bunnies?"

Some girls in the girls laughed at the question, while some nodded in agreement. Mr Reo sighed and said, "That's a easy question. If you were playing the drums, and the genre was indeed to write a piece about bunnies, you would just make the piece jumpy and hoppy and fast like a bunny's movement."

Mikan prayed then and there mentally that one of the themes of the rounds would _not _be about bunnies.

**0**

"Okay, so Mikan, I'm going to go get some measuring tapes from my room, so I'll swing by at your room in like 10 minutes, okay?" Aoi said as she gathered her stuff and pushed it into her bag. Mikan nodded in comprehension and gave Aoi a small wave, but a big warm smile as Aoi dashed out the classroom. Mikan sighed as she zipped her bag and slung it over her shoulder as she stood up. The classroom was now completely empty, it was only her. She pulled her pleated skirt down, since it somehow pushed its way up as she was sitting—

"You know, I liked it better when it was up." A voice commented.

Mikan looked up to the source of sound; the doorway; and her eyes widened. It was Natsume Hyuuga. Suddenly that dreaded feeling started to bubble in her veins . . . but then her brain actually _processed _the comment he had just said to her. She scoffed in disgust—the _nerve!_—and glared, "Nice, Hyuuga." She spat rather icily, not to mention saracastically.

Natsume Hyuuga was leaning on the doorway, while crossing his arms across his chest, had his crimson eyes looking straight at her. Mikan noticed how similar yet different his and Aoi's eyes looked—even though the colour was the same shade of blood crimson, the shape was different, and she could never imagine Aoi with such a expression in her eyes. His perfect eyebrows (did he pluck them?) cocked up and he said, "So you knew I existed? That's a good start.."

"Start?" Mikan repeated. "Listen, there is no _start._ And back off; you're such a creep. We've never properly met and you comment on my _skirt? _I don't know who _you _think you are, but you should know _I'm _not like _that._" _That _obviously hinting to girls such as Luna Koizumi.

Natsume shrugged, "It's the truth. Your skirt looked better up. Just an opinion, and it's a free country," Natsume coolly replied before she smirked, "Mikan Sakura."

Mikan stiffened.

"So, I want to take you out for dinner tonight. I'll pick you up at 8—"

"Um, no you won't!" Mikan firmly answered, a look of disbelief on her face, "What kind of girl do you think I am?"

"Come on, one date—"

Before Natsume could finish his sentence, Mikan easily walked past him, and didn't forget to rather roughly shove him in the shoulder. She turned back to look at him, her eyes ablaze, and through her gritted teeth she said, "Don't you dare talk about me as if I'm a freaking object, or your typical whores—I have respect for myself. And frankly, I would rather kiss a slug than go out with you tonight."

And with that, Mikan walked out of the classroom, leaving Natsume gazing after her, rather in a surprised manner. But then a smirk made its way to his face.

A slug, eh?

**0**

Mikan wanted to punch something as she made her way to her room—she had to restrain herself from not knocking down the vending machine when she passed it. God, the nerve of him! She angrily muttered curses under her breath, as she plunged her key into her door room. She clicked her door open rather agressively, but thena mellow smile surfaced on her face.

"What's cookin'?"

"Smores!" Anna cheerful voice answered back.

Mikan squealed before slipped her black flats off as she walked into the living room, where she saw Nonoko lazily strumming on her guitar while talking to a girl she didn't recognise. She had black curly hair and piercing emerald eyes. Her figure was immaculate; she was skinny and tall. To say she was gorgeous was stating the obvious. Mikan's mouth cracked into a smile as she said, "Hey!"

The girl looked up, and her tight looking face didn't light up, but she gave a small nod in reply. Mikan felt rather awkward, but pushing the thought aside, she annoucned, "I'm Mikan Sakura!"

"Yes I know. I'm Sumire Shouda."

Hotaru, who was busy writing some music, on the coffee table stopped and turned to Mikan and said, "Mikan, you're the one who asked me to befriend her, remember? She's one of Hyuuga's ex."

Then a thought fell on Mikan's head as if it was a boulder from space and she gasped. But before she could say anything, Aoi had entered the room, with safety pins, measuring tapes crammed into her arms, "Sorry I'm late Mikan—_Sumire__?_"

"Why hello Aoi." Sumire simply greeted. Before anything else could happen, Anna came in with a big plate of warm smores, and placed it down on the centre of the table. Anna looked at the obviously confused Aoi and explained, "Hotaru invited her over, help yourself!" she added to everyone.

Sumire gave her a tight smile before she replied, "I'm trying to lose weight, so I'll pass . . . Um, this was really kind of you to invite me, but I have to get back to practicing my violin piece for the competition—"

"Which room are you staying at now?" Aoi asked. When she saw Sumire's gaze directed to her, she felt her cheeks flush and she quickly added, "Well, I knew that you shared a room with Luna before, and I was just wondering—"

"I now have a room of my own." Sumire answered, interrupting the question.

"Why don't you stay with us? We'd love to have you in our room!" Nonoko suggested, as Anna nodded in agreemnt. Mikan remained silent, because she knew in her head that she was bursting to say something—

And then it hit her. "_Oh my god!_"

Hotaru, who was writing, suddenly splattered ink all over her work by mistake and she growled before she glared up at Mikan, "You idiot. Why did you yelp like that? You made me—"

"Hyuuga spoke to me! And he was so bloody cocky, and perverted, and not to mention, he asked me on a freaking date!" Mikan blurted out quickly, and rather hysterically. Aoi's mouth fell open, and Anna and Nonoko just stared at her in disbelief. Hotaru seemed to have forgotten completely about her ruined work, and demanded, "What did you say to him?"

"That I would rather kiss a slug than go out with him." Mikan declared, with a smile on her face. Anna giggled and squeezed Mikan's arm in approval and Mikan added, "My skirt had somehow rolled its way up, and the first thing he said to me was that he liked my skirt like that, the perv—"

"Mikan Sakura. Even though I don't know you well, I am giving you some advice. Don't ever enter a relationship with Natsume Hyuuga. Ever. He's nothing but a bastard who cares about his reputation, and I swear to God he ruined my life. Before, I used to have friends. But then I made the two biggest mistakes in my life; I became friends with Luna Koizumi, and met Natsume Hyuuga. And I know it's none of my business, but I am telling you to stay away from him. He will make you fall hard in love with him, and then before you know it, he would tell you he's met somebody else, or that he's bored of you, so he's dumping you." Sumire sighed rather shakily, "He only cares about himself. Please don't make the same mistake that I did."

Mikan was stunned by Sumire's little speech—it was so honest and so pleading, it struck her heart and she couldn't help her eyes being round as saucers. Aoi on the other hand was awkwardly playing with her thumbs, her mind filled with rather sad thoughts, whilst Hotaru tried to analyze Sumire with her eyes, and the twins held their breath in. Mikan's eyes then softened, and then she squeezed Sumire's hand and replied, "Don't worry Permy—"

"Permy?" Sumire repeated, with a sudden look of disgust on her face. The sweet mushy atmosphere had changed _completely._ "_Permy_? What the hell is that vile name?"

Mikan giggled and said, "It's your nickname, silly!"

Permy's—well Sumire's—face hardened as she slowly said, "No way in hell are you calling me Permy. That's a disgusting name! It makes me sound like someone from the 80's!"

The girls laughed and then Aoi chirped, "Now that's the Permy I remember!"

"_Don't _call me that!"

"I hereby declare your nickname to be Permy, and for you to stay at our place!" Nonoko announced. "Those in favour say _Aye__!_"

"Aye!" the girls chorused.

Permy smiled and replied, "Thank you. I would love to have roommates again; I would love to stay here. But I completely refuse the nickname Permy!"

After some more talking, and arguing about the name Permy, Hotaru suggested, more like commanded, "Let's watch a movie."

Everybody agreed, and while they all changed from their uniforms into some comfy sweatpants, Permy went back to her room to collect all her things, and Aoi started to measure Mikan's body—bust, waist and thighs.

There was suddenly a knock on the door and Mikan said, "It's Permy with her stuff! I'll go get it!" before she bounced over to the door and clicked it open, "You were quick Perm—"

And then she stopped right in midsentence. Because it wasn't Permy. It was Natsume Hyuuga. And since Aoi was measuring her body, she was only in her Polka-dotted bra and underwear. Her mouth gaped open, and her eye twitched. Natsume on the other hand was inspected her from head to toe, before he said, "You planning to come to dinner with me like that? Not that I mind, of course." He smirked.

"_Shit!__"_ Mikan shrieked, and with that, Mikan slammed the door close, and ran back into the living room, cursing ever so loudly and stamping her foot on the floor like a whining child.

Hotaru raised an eyebrow before she sighed, "What now, dramaqueen?"

"It wasn't Permy!" she announced, her voice high and squeaky, "It was _Hyuuga_! And he saw me like _this__!_" Mikan answered, hinting to her pretty much naked physique, before she screamed into a pillow. "I can't get married now!"

"What!" Anna, Nonoko and Aoi demanded. "It was _Hyuuga_?"

"What time is it?"

"It's 8 o'clock."

"He said he was coming to pick me up at eight for dinner! God he was serious!" Mikan cried, as she started to punch the poor abused pillow.

Aoi announced, "Okay Mikan, go get some clothes on. I finished your measuring anyway. We'll go tell him to go away, alright?"

"Yes please." Mikan sniffed, as she babyishly stuck a thumb into her mouth, feeling as if something had been robbed from her.

**0**

"What do you want now, Natsume?" Aoi demanded as clicked open the door, her eyes narrowed.

"I said 8 o'clock." Natsume shrugged. ."

"She isn't coming!" Aoi snapped.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. She's not coming." Aoi firmly responded.

Natsume raked his hair and sighed, "Tell her to come out."

"Natsume." A shaky voice from behind called. Natsume whipped his head back and couldn't help but inwardly groan. It was Sumire Shouda, his ex-girlfriend, standing behind him holding a bulky looking suitcase.

"Hey." Natsume replied. "Where you off to?"

Sumire was initially surprised how casual Natsume sounded with her, but then memories of him flooded back to her mind, and her green eyes narrowed like cats and she stated, "I live _here_ now. And go away—Mikan's not interested."

There was a pause before Natsume rolled his eyes rather subtly and answered, "Whatever. Aoi, just tell her to come out and I'll leave."

Aoi narrowed her eyes at Natsume, and held onto Permy's arm, and gently pushed her into the room, because she could she the hurtful look in Permy's eyes. "Alright then. Mikan!" She called, "He needs to speak to you and won't leave until he does so."

There was a little silence, but then a shuffle of feet and the door opened by the slightest, showing Mikan, now in a grey dress, looking murderous yet her cheeks were still flamed red with humilation. "What do you want?"

Natsume first looked at her rather neutrally before he smirked, and then he pulled something out from his denim jeans' pocket. It was a plastic container.

And in it a _slug_.

Mikan's eyes widened, and Aoi looked at it, with disgust written all over her face.

"Kiss it." Natsume easily commanded, as he popped open the lid of the plastic container.

Anna, Nonoko, Permy and Hotaru had now gathered at the doorway where all the action was happening, and gasped when they saw what Natsume was holding, and to what he had just said.

"You said yourself that you'd rather kiss a slug than go out to dinner with me. I just went to the park, and made a little boy dig this slug in exchange for some cash."

"So as well as forcing me to kiss that thing, you forced a child to find that thing for you?" Mikan asked, horrified.

He easily nodded in reply, adding, "The kid was ecstatic." Before he repeated yet again in a rather husky voice, "Kiss it." as he pushed the container in her hands.

Mikan looked down at the slug and gulped. It was slimy and brown, and it was oozing out disgusting globs of what looked like snot. Its body was sluggishly moving around, and somehow it looked as if it had lips, and were pursing them out. "Or come to dinner with me." Natsume reminded Mikan, making her options clear. All her friends just looked at the show in front of them; Anna even had her fingers covering her eyes she was so grossed out, dreading for the worst.

Natsume on the other hand was certain she would bail out. I mean, kiss a slug? No one would do that. And of course he would win to a goddamn slug.

_Duh._

Mikan sighed and stared at the thing. To any normal girl, they would have chosen the dinner date; the guy was hot and he was paying! But was Mikan ever a normal girl?

She pulled the slug closer to her lip, which were shaking uncontrollably while Natsume's eyes widened, she wasn't actually going to—

MWAH!

"_EW!__"_ and with that, Mikan ran back into the room, to obviously go wash her mouth. Her friends all pulled disgusted faces, but cheered at Mikan for kissing it as they heard the sound of the tap blasting out and the sound of a furious toothbrush vigorously scrubbing away.

Natsume couldn't tell if he was more shocked or more amazed. Awestruck would be the right word in this case.

After a few moments, Mikan appeared at the doorway once more, her face knitted into a scowl, and her toothbrush still in her hand as she declared, "I kissed it. And now you know I kissed a slug, don't you feel a bit grossed out? Doesn't that make you think twice about going out with me?"

Natsume blinked, a stoic expression on his face, before he smirked, and neared his face to her's, and huskily whispered something in her ear. All her friends watched Mikan go pink in the face, and curiously looked at her, urging with their eyes to spill what he had just whispered into her ear . . . rather seductively. After that, he turned his back on her, and put his hood up and walked away. And just like smoke in the air, Natsume disappeared.

Just like that.

"What did he whisper?" Permy asked, as she pushed all of them back into their room. Hotaru clicked the door behind them, and they all eagerly looked at Mikan who groaned and said, "He said, _Actually I'm turned on now._" Mikan repeated, in mocking low husky voice. "The pervert." She added, as she sighed, "I'm going to go wash my mouth again. I feel crap."

**0**

"There's the man Natsume!" Koko cheered as the door clicked close, and Natsume pulled his hoodie off his head; he was now just wearing a plain black no-sleeve tee, and his jeans.

Ruka raised a hand to greet his best friend before his eyebrows furrowed and he asked, "Wait, aren't you supposed to be on a date—" He stopped talking when Natsume lazily tossed a plastic container into his lap. Ruka peered into it, and then he laughed out loud. "No way, she chose the _slug_ over _you__?_" Ruka asked, and Natsume nodded, as he sunk into the couch.

"_What?"_ Koko and Kitsune-me demanded at the same time. "She chose that _greasy slimeball_ over _you__?_"

"Yeah." Natsume replied, his voice holding no emotions.

There was a round of laughter, and the boys howled. "Shame mate! You must be so goddamn humiliated!" Ruka taunted, and Koko and Kitsune-me agreed, laughing. And for some odd reason Natsume didn't scowl or curse at them, no, instead he smirked rather boyishly; and that's when the rest stopped laughing and looked at him their heads cocked to the side.

"Whatcha smirking about? Natsume, you just got rejected!" Koko reminded.

"Personally, I've never been more interested in a girl. Think of it this way; she would rather kiss a fucking slug than go out with me. Have you _met _anybody like that before?" Natsume easily replied.

"What about her boyfriend in Nagoya? Have you forgotten about him?" Kitsune-me asked.

"As if I would forget him." Natsume replied, as he raked his fingers through his hair and he clicked his tongue. "When I went to their room, on the entrance table, I saw a picture frame, and in it, was _her_ and this guy, smiling. He looked older than her, and didn't look so disgusting. I think that's her boyfriend from Nagoya. Even though he wasn't deformed like I imagined, he still looked like one of my girlfriends from last February."

The boys hooted again with laughter, and Koko even started to bang the table while laughing, "What you mean he looked like Haya-chan? Ain't that pretty gay looking then?"

"Honestly, that is classic! Put that in your lyrics!" Ruka suggested, and the boys laughed and nodded in agreement.

A malicious smile appeared on Natsume's face, and he replied, "I will." Then he stretched his back before he continued, "But who cares about him? He lives in Nagoya, and we're in Tokyo. I think that fact makes it clear that this _boyfriend_ doesn't exist in my world." They all grinned at each other and Ruka concluded by saying, "She's going to be yours soon enough, eh?"

Exactly Ruka. Right you are.

**0**

**End of Chapter Six**

**0**


	8. The First Round

**Disclaimer: **I don't own an elephant, I don't own the world, I don't own an iPhone, and nor do I own Alice Gakuen : (

**0**

**My Happy Ending  
**_**By Little Miss Giggle**_

**0**

**Chapter Seven: The First Round**

**0**

_I don't need no superman, with special powers and a fake tan,  
to try and save the day for me.  
Why can't he just let me be?_

**0**

**(This Chapter is in the point of view of Mikan. I would change it to a narrator's point of view, but that would mean stripping the whole chapter down.)**

**0**

"Welcome students, to the first round of The First Music Competition in the Academy!" Mr Prince loudly bellowed into the microphone, which was promptly followed by loud cheers and students waving their supporting banners high into the air. Many whooped and some even looked like they were going to pee from laughing and screaming too much.

I was currently supposed to be backstage, getting my make-up and all that jazz ready, but right now I was feeling nauseated. I looked at the crowd from behind a crack of the curtains and thought to myself: why the hell where there so many students out there not performing tonight? Why were only _sixty_ of the four hundred students in the goddamn Academy performing tonight? But what puzzled me the most was why the hell was I here, about to perform, and not down there, supporting?

I groaned, and pushed down a large clump in my throat and continued to gaze at the crowd.

This had to be a nightmare.

I love singing and performing, but when I say the word performing, I mean in front of around forty people. Not _three hundred _and forty screaming teenagers. And not to mention, only one person in the crowd was supporting my friends and I tonight and that person is Aoi Hyuuga. The rest of the crowd was pretty much all supporting her brother's band, the _Crimson Abyss_.

And in another case, if there were males out there supporting tonight, no doubt it'll be for the hottest—try _sluttiest_—girl group on campus, _Bunny Love_. Did I mention Luna Koizumi was in that group with her robotic goons? Oh and she's currently dressed like a playboy bunny, in a skin tight white leotard and big clompy leather boots? I gagged when I saw their fluffy little tails wiggle and jiggle around.

I fiddled with my brown hair as I sighed. Somewhere in my heart, a haunting feeling of _I'm-not-going-to-get-through-the-first-round_ was growing. But the optimistic side of my heart was screaming, _You-going-to-be-great_!

Pfft. Yeah right.

"Mikan."

I heard Hotaru's ice cool voice call my name, and just hearing it made me smile.

"Yeah?" I called back, as I walked towards the sound of her voice. I walked past many girls, rest assured that the boys had a different changing place, who were all anxiously getting changed, putting their make-up on and practicing their songs all at the same time. And whenever I heard somebody play or sing some decent music, I couldn't help feel even more anxious.

I bit my lip as I kept on walking.

There, I saw Hotaru, her arms across her chest. She looked beautiful. She looked like a professional pianist. She wore a sleek black dress, which hugged her body, and her hair was pinned back with a sparkling diamond clip. "Wow Hotaru! You look stunning!" I commented as I hugged my best friend.

Hotaru simply just patted my head and said, "You better get dressed. Come on, I'll go get Anna and Nonoko to help you out. Aoi's in your dressing room, she brought your dress."

I nodded in reply, and just about I was about to leave, she gave me a squeeze on the arm and added, "You'll do fine."

I smiled back, and replied, "Thank you Hotaru. You really are my one and only best friend." before I walked towards my dressing room. I knocked on my door, and when I heard Aoi's sweet voice say, "Come in!" I clicked it open and entering as I smiled at Aoi.

"God, this place is like a closet!" I commented as I giggled.

Aoi laughed and said, "I totally agree!" She then pulled out a dress from a bag, and I gasped as she pushed it to my hands. "No way!" I gasped, as I hung it down holding the hanger up, "_This _is my dress? You made _this_?"

"What did you expect? Some rags?"

I laughed but then seriously replied, "Honestly, I didn't expect it to be _this_ amazing! Look at it—it's a babe!—you could _so _sell your work!"

Aoi raised her eyebrows at me and said, "Unlikely, but that is my dreams." She sighed as she looked at the dress. Before anything else could happen, she looked back at me, and said, "Well, time to get dressed!"

I replied by saying a bubbly, "Yay!" Even though I was so excited to try on the dress and for Anna and Nonoko to do my make-up, the fear of going up on stage was gradually sinking into me as if a snake had bitten me, and the poison was seeping in.

**0**

"Students, calm down!" Mr Reo now said into the microphone.

The cheering and shouting gradually died down, and then Mr Reo's face broke into a boyish grin. "Well, I'm going to repeat Mr Prince's word: Welcome. Tonight is the very first round of the first competition we have ever held in the Academy. I hope you will all enjoy tonight. May I say it is against the rules to throw items like tomatoes on the stage while somebody is performing. Items like flowers are allowed to be thrown at the contestants, but please refrain from doing so."

The students all looked bored and looked ready for the performances, and just on cue the stage lights flashed on. The stage was pitch black, and Mr Reo smirked and said, "Enjoy."

"Our first contestant is our very own bone-chilling goth, Rose Denmai!" Mr Prince announced.

And on cue, the contestant Rose was on stahe, in here Goth Lolita outfit earning herself a round of cheers and applause. And just as easy as that, the competition had started. And I felt more than nervous. Fifty seven more performances and that'll be _me _on stage. Singing my song. Dedicated to the person I honestly wanted nothing to do with.

Oh hell, I felt sick to the bone.

"Mikan. Calm down." Hotaru coolly said, as she looked at me with her amethyst eyes.

"I can't do this!" I choked out.

"Mikan, listen to me." Anna soothingly held my hand. "Nonoko and I should be the ones to be nervous. Not many people appreciate our music. We all have Aoi out there rooting for us! And frankly, you look amazing. Any guy would be either gay or crazy not to like you. And who cares about the girls? You're no lesbian!"

That made me giggle a bit and made me feel a bit better so I said, "Can you please say something like that again?"

"You'll do fine sweetie." Nonoko assured me as she patted my hair.

I nodded as I took a deep breath. Suddenly the image of my brother Ryo flooded my mind. I remembered how he'd always be there whenever I had a school play or I had to perform something. How his face stood out in the crowd to me. God I miss that toerag of a brother.

"Now Mikan, come with me. I'll do your finishing touches of your make-up." Anna said, as she took my hand with her baby soft fingers. I curled my fingers around hers and nodded, and followed her to her changing room. My mouth opened pretty much as soon as the door opened, and I saw just how much make-up the twins owned! MAC, Benefit, Chanel, Max Factor, Dior, you name it; it'll be there in that big stack of make-up!

"Woah." I whistled as I inspected all the things.

"Let me look at you." Anna said. I turned around to her, and did a little twirl as I giggled.

After that she gazed at me as if I was like a talking penguin, but then after a few tense seconds, she collected all the make-up she needed as quick as lightning. And hell it was a lot. "Okay, let's get you done!" she squealed as she patted to the free chair, hinting for me to take it.

**. . .**

"Some body glitter . . . " Anna muttered to herself as she puffed a fluffy puffball around my face, then my clevage area. Then she smiled at me and announced, "Finito!"

I squealed like a piglet happily, and excitedly turned to a mirror. "You look darling honey!" Anna said as she squeezed my arm. I looked at myself in the reflection.

I looked a bit like a dolly; this was not me, the person in the reflection wasn't me. I was looking at somebody else it felt like. The mascara and glittery black eyeliner covered my hazel eyes, and my skin looked paler than usual, and lips covered in bold thick red lipstick. My body was sprinkled with silver glitter so whenever I moved, I sparkled.

"Wow! I'm like Tinkerbell!" I said to myself.

Anna laughed again but then she said, "Oh! Forgot one thing!" She dug her hand deep into a bag, which lazily sat on the floor, and pulled out a bottle of perfume. "This perfume is absolutely delicious! It's by Kylie Minogue, and I'm certain it'll go perfectly with your performance!" She spritzed my neck, and my wrists with it, then for some odd reason, she also spritzed it on my ankles.

"Care to explain?" I laughed. "Nobody will be able to smell it down there!"

"Oh that's what _you_ think! Believe me, the crowd might get a whiff of it. You see, my mama told me this: the closest thing to the crowd of you is your feet. So make sure your feet looks as pretty as your face. So Mikan, take those silver flats off, and wear these silver heels!" And from God knows where, Anna pulled some gorgeous heels from behind her. I was startled by it.

"Woah, _niiiice__!_" I commented, my eyes wide. I was surprised when she pushed it into my hands. I gasped, "You serious? You're letting me borrow these?"

Anna nodded and said, "You can have them! My mama always sends me loadsa shoes! Wanna hear her phrase? Always wear the nicest shoes possible, because beautiful shoes take your beautiful places. Ain't that a pretty phrase?"

"Your mum sounds beautiful—inside and out." I answered with a smile. I looked at the shoes and added, "I can't have them. Just let me borrow them, okay?"

"Well when's your birthday?"

"It was in January."

"Well happy belated birthday Mikan!" Anna said as she smiled.

I laughed and looked at them again. "That was _months _ago though! . . . But thank you Anna." and with, I took my flats off, and slipped into the heels. It was a perfect fit, and I did a little shimmy in them, and Anna giggled.

"Glad you like 'em!"

"Like them? I adore them. Thank you so much, Anna."

**0**

". . . And that was the hottie Hanazawa Rui with his violin!" Mr Narumi said into the microphone. The crowd screamed in return, and many students waved their heart-shaped banners frantically as he waved and left the stage. "Wasn't he a cutie? I could just eat him up with some whipped cream!"

I couldn't help snort, that Narumi really was one wack job. I felt sorry for the students he taught—God! I shouldn't be thinking about that, who cares about him! I should be caring about myself! Anna and Nonoko are on now, and after that, it's _me!_ I should be supporting them, and practicing my singing instead of caring whose taught by Narumi or not!

"Next, we have a very cute set of twins! Please give a warm welcome to Anna and Nonoko!" There was a round of applause, and I yelled, "Anna, Nonoko! We love you!" even though I knew they probably couldn't hear me.

I then suddenly felt a cold hand on my shoulder, and I turned around and smiled. "Hey, Hotaru!"

She smiled in return and she asked, "Feeling better now?" I nodded in reply but then I sighed. "Can't believe I'm next. You don't know how nervous I am . . . speaking of that, when are you on?"

"Me? I'm before Hyuuga's band." Hotaru easily said.

I crinkled my nose, "Great. Now I feel ever more nauseous now you mentioned He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."

"He isn't Voldemort, nor is this Hogwarts." Hotaru answered, as she rolled her eyes rather amusedly.

I giggled, nudged her in the ribs to proceed in yelling again, "We love you Anna and Nonoko!" I smiled when I saw a sparkling pink banner in the crowd, which read, **I HEART ****Anna and Nonoko!**

I smiled, now knowing where to look in the crowd when it was my time to sing. That Aoi is such a sweetie. Then I turned my eyes back to the twins and I watched the crowd's cheers die down, and honestly, I think I was feeling more nervous than them.

"Hey y'all! I'm Nonoko, and this is my twin Anna!" Nonoko talked into the microphone. They each had those cool microphones, which look like headsets and both were carrying their guitars. "Enjoy it, and may we add, save the planet!" Anna added, and the crowd clapped harder.

The stage lights died down, and there, Anna and Nonoko stood, both looking calm and collected, strumming their guitars in a peaceful manner. The crowd was quiet, and everybody eagerly looked at the twins. The judges had their pens ready in their hands and kept glancing at their sheet of paper and at the two. All I could do was watch, and support silently from my heart.

_What A Wonderful World_

_(Listen to the version by _**Eva Cassidy**_ (Anna) and _**Katie Melua**_ (Nonoko) )_

_I see trees of green, red roses too  
I'll watch them bloom, for me and you  
And I think to myself_

_What a wonderful world_

_I see skies of blue, clouds that are white  
Bright blessed days, dark secret nights  
And I think to myself_

_What a wonderful world_

_The colours of the rainbow so pretty in the sky  
Are also on the faces of the people passing by  
I see friends shaking hands saying,_  
"_How do you do?"  
But they're really saying, "I love you."_

_The colours of the rainbow so pretty in the sky  
Are also in the faces of the people passing by  
I see friends shaking hands saying,_  
"_How do you do?"  
But they're really saying, "I love you."_

_I see trees of green, red roses too  
I'll watch them bloom, for me and you  
And I think to myself_

_What a wonderful world_

_I think to myself  
Ooooh . . . What a wonderful world_

_. . ._

There was an echoing note, but once that note had officially died, the crowd clapped for them.

I loudly whistled and cheered, "I love you both!" when they both gave a little curtsy to the crowd and the judges.

When they came towards Hotaru and I, after the lights had dimmed, I squeezed them both into a hug. "You guys! I'm so _proud._"

"Well done both of you." Hotaru said.

Anna and Nonoko also hugged Hotaru, and replied, "Thank you both! Oh my gosh, you don't know how nervous I was! I was shaking so much!"

I laughed and hugged all three of them. "I must have been one hell of a good person in my past life to deserve friends like you!" Nonoko laughed, which not only made my heart want to melt into gush, but it also made me laugh too and agree.

"Well I must have been an ugly evil beggar to deserve you lot . . ." Hotaru murmured.

I scrunched my eyes and demanded, "What did you say?"

"I'm joking; as if I would be ugly and evil. Or a beggar for that matter."

Anna and Nonoko saw the funny side of this so-called joke, but I just pouted and retorted back by calling Hotaru a: "Bully."

"And the next contestant is from my class. Please welcome Mikan Sakura!" I heard Mr Reo's voice in the distant. But to me, what he said sounded like jibberish, and I continued to talk to my friends. That was until Anna and Nonoko exchanged glances, and I heard the crowd shout, "Where is she?" and Hotaru rubbed her temples.

"What's up guys? Why is everything so awkward, and why do I have a feeling I'm supposed to somewhere?"

"You idiot. You're on."

"I'm on?"

"Yes."

" . . . Oh _shit!_" and with that, I mentally swore more, and I jingled over towards the stage. I entered the stage, and felt blinded by the brightness of the spotlight. I suddenly heard the crowd, which was once silent, cheer, and couldn't help feeling a bit more confident. And then it hit me. I was on stage, about to perform.

In front of three hundred and fourty people. My eyes widened and I felt a bit sick.

Okay, maybe really sick.

But I covered my nauseated looking façade with a big smile. I even waved to them, and blew them kisses, and then somebody passed me a microphone. I briefly thanked him before I blew into the microphone to test it was on, and when I was ready, I greeted into the microphone, "Hey everybody! I hope you're all having a good night so far!"

My smile widened when they all cheered in reply. Maybe performing in front of these people wasn't such a sick idea. "Okay, I hope you all enjoy my song! Peace!"

The crowd howled once more, and before anything else could happen, my music started to flow out the CD player.

(Just so you know, people who aren't in a band or who are not performing with a musical instrument, but are singing, either in a group or solo, have their music played by the Academy's musical players, and put on a CD so it can be played on a CD player. The CD is checked beforehand incase of fraud, or lip-synching.)

_Wow_

_Kylie Minogue_

_Read my lips, I'm into you, I'm into you  
I can't resist  
You're so hot (get me into the shade)_

_The spotlight's on  
You take me to it  
You like it and  
Just the way that you dance  
Just the way that you dance_

_(Yeah, yeah)  
Is enough to love you baby  
(Yeah, yeah) Is enough to send me crazy  
(Yeah, yeah) Such angelic motion  
(Yeah, yeah)  
You know you're made in heaven_

_The way you walk  
The rhythm when you're dancing  
Every inch of you spells out desire  
You're such a rush  
The rush is never ending  
Now, you got it, you're wow, wow, wow, wow  
You got it; you're wow, wow, wow, wow_

_The more I try, I try to stop  
The more I can feel my antenna just sensing you up  
What can I do?  
I'm into you  
I'm into you  
Love the way that you move  
Just love the way that you move_

_(Yeah, yeah)  
Such angelic motion  
(Yeah, yeah)  
You know you're made in heaven_

_The way you walk  
The rhythm when you're dancing  
Every inch of you spells out desire  
You're such a rush  
The rush is never ending  
Now, you got it, you're wow, wow, wow, wow  
You got it; you're wow, wow, wow, wow_

_W-woah ooh, ooh  
W-woah ooh  
W-woah ooh, ooh  
W-woah ooh_

_The way you walk  
The rhythm when you're dancing  
Every inch of you spells out desire  
You're such a rush  
The rush is never ending  
Now, you got it, you're wow, wow, wow, wow_

_The way you walk  
The rhythm when you're dancing  
Every inch of you spells out desire  
You're such a rush  
The rush is never ending  
Now, you got it, you're wow, wow, wow, wow  
You got it; you're wow, wow, wow, wow_

_Wow!_

My face broke out into a smile as soon as I saw the crowd cheer when I had done. And what scared me the most was the fact was that they were cheering for me. Don't get me wrong, it was also exhilarating; I felt adrenaline pump through my veins, and I felt as if I could _fly_. Being a singer was my dream, and this was a small taste of what it would be like if it came true. I laughed into the microphone, and gave a little girlish curtsey before I blew kisses at the crowd again. "Thank you and g'night!"

I quickly walked off the stage, and my face cracked into a bigger smile as I saw the squealing Anna and Nonoko and my smiling best friend.

"Mikan! That was great! You sounded like a real pop star!" Anna commented.

I laughed but I shook my head. "Definitely not my favourite song—"

"That was dedicated to Natsume Hyuuga." Hotaru slyly interrupted, with her smile still dancing on her lips. "I can't believe you did it. And what shocked me the most, was you did it really well."

I laughed in disbelief and then I said, "Well I'll take that as a compliment!"

Anna and Nonoko laughed, and showered me with more compliments. I thanked them, but then my ears heard something beautiful, yet so sad, which immediately caused me to shut my mouth, and whirl my head back round. I looked at the stage, and my eyes widened. "Permy?" I gasped.

Permy looked magical out there, not to mention she was playing the violin incredibly.

"She's amazing!" I commented under my breath, as I felt sparkles of awe light up in my eyes.

"You shouldn't be admiring other contestant, because if you don't get through the first round, you'll regret admiring them. You'll be depressed out of your mind." Hotaru remarked.

"That's so mean Hotaru!" I laughed. "As if I will be depressed if I don't get—. . . in." And then my eyes widened. Oh my god, if I didn't get in, I think I'll be as fat as a sumo wrestler from eating too much chocolate from depression.

Who was I kidding?

Of course I'll be broken if I didn't get in; this is my _dream!_

Unconsciously both my hands slapped my cheeks and I gasped, "What if I don't get in?"

Anna and Nonoko laughed and patted my back. "Course you'll get in! The judges adored you! 'Specially Narumi!"

But a dark cloud hung over me. My optimistic side of my heart was washed away with those simple words Hotaru had said.

"Hotaru, sweetie, I think you should take that back, Mikan seems a bit depressed . . ." I heard Nonoko whisper to Hotaru.

I felt my lip twitch and then I sighed, ". . . I guess this is where me life ends . . . I'm going to go get a drink of water . . ." And with that, I slumped off towards the nearest water fountain. I vaguely heard Nonoko and Anna scolding Hotaru, but I kept on walking sluggishly towards the water fountain. I sighed once more, as I picked up a plastic cup, and pushed water into it. I watched the water go to the brim, then brought the cup to my lips and took a long gulp.

"Hey Polka-dots."

I twirled around, and I swear to God I nearly sprayed the water in my mouth all over what I saw. There, Natsume Hyuuga stood, looking bored, yet amused at the same time right in front of me. When I had completely gulped my water down I said, "Go away. I don't need you to make my night worse."

"Maybe a kiss to lighten it up?" He suggested, with an innocent grin plastered on his face.

I scoffed, "I'll pass thanks. I'll rather take the slug again. And quit the nickname."

He leaned on the wall, and pushed his hair back. I stole a glance at him, and couldn't help think how good-looking he was. His hair was screaming for me to caress it; it looked soft and was raven black. He was currently looking down, and I admired how long his eyelashes were, and before I could inspect anything else he turned his gaze at me. His eyes were alluring and tantalizing, with little sparks in the deep shade of crimson, and those beautiful eyes were looking straight at my eyes. Thing is, he may be gorgeous, but then he opens his goddamn mouth, "You looked hot out there."

"You know, my mother always told me to go for the guys who call you beautiful, not hot." I replied as I took another sip.

"Well then I take that back. You looked _beautiful._" He corrected himself, in a rather sneering manner.

I snorted, "Hearing that from you doesn't make me feel any better."

"Okay what if I say this? You're red dress suits you, your make-up is a bit too heavy for my liking, but you look beautiful. Feel better?"

"No." I stubbornly replied.

"What if I was your boyfriend from Nagoya who said that?"

"What the—" I turned to look at him, to continue my sentence, but as soon as I did, I noticed how bloody close his face was to mine. I couldn't help but my brain to have a freeze and my mouth to go dry. He just kept staring at me, and I couldn't help but do the same. It felt as if we were gazing at each other for years, centuries! But it all stopped when I blinked and realized what I was doing. I turned away to the side, feeling my cheeks prickle rather hotly, and gave a throaty cough. Feeling a bit nervous and awkward, I just blankly stared down at my plastic cup, but I looked up when I heard him snicker.

"Were you _dazzled_ by my eyes?" He asked as he looked at me, with a boyish grin on his face.

My brain had to process what he said, and when it did , I couldn't help but scoff. "You are such a narcissist. I was merely disgusted by your eyes." I snapped, but I knew inside, who was I kidding? Disgusted? No way, his eyes _did _dazzle me, but why the hell would I admit that to this moron? If I did, his ego would probably grow to the size of China. I sighed rather helplessly.

"Not sighing about me, are you?"

"Arrogant bastard." I muttered under my breath, but when I looked up at him, he had an urging look on his face . . . I could tell he was waiting for a proper answer. "

I don't think I'm going to get in the first round." I simply admitted as I pressed my lips together.

He sneered, and in return, and I roughly nudged him in the shoulder glaring him.

"Even though my performance is going to be the best tonight, I can guarntee you're going to get in."

"I'll bet you anything I won't." I sulked.

"Fine. You're betting anything, so, if you _do_ get in, you're going to have to go on a date with me."

I snorted at what Hyuuga had just said. But then I thought about it, and a smile crossed my face. "Okay, deal. But in that case, if I _don't_ get in, you will never speak or look at me again. Deal?"

"Done."

I smiled as I shook his hand. Now, even when I don't get in, I'll have something to look forward to, right? As I uncurled my fingers from his hand, I realized how cold his hand was. It was as if he was an ice sculpture. I winced, and pulled my hand away, and in return, he raised his eyebrows, neared his face towards mine again and huskily whispered in my ear, "Cold?"

"Well obviously, I'm in a sleeveless dress while—" my eyes narrowed before I gasped, "Hyuuga, what are you doing in your _uniform?_"

Natsume blinked, before he glanced down at his body. He looked back at me, "It's what we do. We all wear our uniform to every concert." Natsume shrugged before he smirked, "Guess you don't know everything about me, eh?"

"And I'm happy that way. But can I ask something? What happens when you're forty years old and you have a concert? You _still_ going to wear the school uniform?"

"Good idea." Natsume replied, answering my question. And then, he looked down at me in a cocky manner and said, "So that song you just sang, was about me?"

My mouth gaped open, and my eyes shot to him. Who told him that? All my friends promised that they would keep their lips sealed, and never say a word about the fact that I had to write that dumb song about him!

"What? Who told you that?" I demanded, "They promised they would all shut up about the stupid dare—I bet it was Hotaru—"

And then I realized something, when Natsume cocked his eyebrows, in a mixture of surprise and an expression that read I-just-hit-the-jackpot. Nobody had told him that my song _Wow_ was dedicated to him. He had just said that to _tease _me. He said as a mocking cocky joke. But now he knew the truth that it was _indeed _written about him.

I had to fix this.

". . .Haha! Joking!" I faked a laugh trying to break the tension. But it didn't work.

"Well, well, what do you know. Polka-dots might just have a crush on me—"

"No!" I firmly replied. "It was a stupid dare! I was planning to write about something else, not you!"

"Something else being your first shag with your boyfriend from Nagoya?" He asked me, with a tinge of playfulness in his voice. Honestly, it just made me want to poke his eyes out.

But I decided to play along with his stupid statement, so I gasped and said, "How did you know? Is it that obvious that I miss him?"

I saw face contort into a scowl, and then he rolled his crimson eyes, and I couldn't help but smile.

"Well I better be going back to my friends now." I happily chirped, I gave him a hard pat on back, and laughed manically in head. I walked past him, and just as I was about to celebrate for getting away from him, he grabbed my arms. I turned back to him, and he was looking at me with intense eyes, which kind of freaked me out . . . What now?

"You're going to forget about him."

"Eh?"

"Listen to out for my song. It's written about you," he smirked, before he leaned his head towards mine and murmured, "Polka-dots."

I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stick up, and my head going light. It was a crazy reaction, because that's the type of reaction you get when your _boyfriend _or the _boy you fancy _does that to you.

He pulled his face away, and then he smirked. "We're going to be on soon. Watch out for me, eh?" And just like that, just after those words, he stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked away.

"I won't be looking out for you, I'll be on the phone with my _boyfriend!_" I called back at him, and his reaction was just to lazily flick his hand up in the air, and then put his hand back in his pocket. I huffed a breath, but then my mouth opened by the slightest.

Natsume Hyuuga had written a song about me. Oh brilliant. That was just the cherry on my chocolate milkshake. I took another annoyed huff of breath, and with my arms crossed, I quickly went to find my friends.

It wasn't long till I found them, and when I found them, I noticed Hotaru wasn't there, but Permy was back. "Hey Permy! Well done for before!"

Permy just smiled back and said, "Thanks."

"Where's darling, (yet evil) Hotaru Imai, my best friend?" I asked.

Anna and Nonoko both giggled, but Permy just sighed. "You are not a very good best friend. Hotaru left for the stage about two minutes ago. Where the hell where you? And don't just say you were getting a drink like Nonoko told me, there's no way you'd take that long—"

"What? She's gone? Already? And nobody called me?" I asked before I gasped, "Oh god, she's going to kill me." Ended it all with a groan.

"Well she certainly looked angry when she went up on stage!" Nonoko commented, as she laughed.

I banged my head on the palms of my hand. "God I'm such a bad friend!" And with that, I quickly walked over to a spot where it was the stage, but I was concealed from the crowd by the curtain. I watched in awe as Hotaru played the piano with perfection. She was beautiful. I smiled, a big crocodile smile, as I clutched onto Anna's arm. "That's my best friend!" I kept on chanting, as I swung her arm to the rhythm of my chanting.

"You're having some serious mood swings today, honey!"

I smiled at her, and said, "Hotaru's right. I would be completely and utterly depressed if I didn't get in. So it was fine she said that, because it's true. But now, when I don't get in, I have a pretty darn good reason to be happy about it!"

"What?" Permy questioned, her eyebrows furrowed.

I smiled and said, "Basically—"

"And that was Hotaru Imai, the beautiful teenager, playing a wonderful piano piece!" Narumi's loud voice interrupted me.

At first I pouted because I got interrupted, but when I realized what Narumi had just said, I started to clap like a lunatic. And when I saw Hotaru come over to us, I even waved like a lunatic. "Hotaru—dear best friend! Darling, dearest, sweetie, honey!—you were amazing—"

"Shut up you disloyal best friend." Hotaru coolly snapped as she walked past me. Walked past me and my arms, which were wide open to hug her!

"Hotaru!" I whined as I chased after her. I forcefully linked my arms with her and I rested my head on her shoulder. "I'm sorry I didn't come wish you luck. But I have a reason for that!" Hotaru completely ignored me, and I pouted and added, "I love you and you're my best friend forever . . . forgive me now?"

"If we ever perform again, you're definitely going to wish me luck." Hotaru bluntly said. I smiled. Even though that was a blunt and weird response, I knew exactly what it meant. I gave Hotaru a hug and laughed childishly before she asked, "So what's your reason?"

"Yeah, and what's your pretty darn good reason if you don't get in you would be _happy?_" Permy also asked.

I smiled and said, "Well basically—"

"_And ladies, it's what you've all be waiting for! It's the hottest band on campus, what you've all been dying to see: CRIMSON ABYSS! SCREAM YOUR HEART OUT!_" I heard Narumi yell into the microphone.

My eyes widened, and my jaw dropped on what I heard next.

There was screaming like I've never heard before.

All the girls, and I'm sure the gays too, were screaming like they _were _screaming their hearts out. With Hotaru still linked to me, I pulled her over to the same spot on where I saw Hotaru perform. All my friends followed behind, and then my ears felt deafened by the loud _phwoar_ the electric guitar was making, but I couldn't help admit that it was a catchy beat. I felt my jaw drop to the ground when I saw what was on stage and what the crowd was doing.

The crowd was going mental, more like the girls and gays, some were even taking their tops off, revealing their _I LOVE CRIMSON ABYSS_'s bras.

Lovely, very stylish, I'll make a mental note to take a picture of one of them, and send it to Vogue. Pfft.

On the stage were Kokoro Yome, Kitsune-me, Ruka Nogi and him. And they honestly looked like a real band. Not like the bands I saw before, which were good, but nothing compared to this. And then his voice and his lyrics came.

Lyrics which were written about me. The first _ever _to be written about me, Mikan Sakura.

_Somebody Told Me_

_The Killers_

_Breaking my back just to know your name  
Seventeen tracks and I've had it with this game  
I'm breaking my back just to know your name  
But heaven ain't close in a place like this  
Anything goes but don't blink you might miss  
Cause heaven ain't close in a place like this  
I said heaven ain't close in a place like this  
Bring it back down, bring it back down tonight  
Never thought I'd let a rumour ruin my moonlight_

_Well somebody told me  
You had a boyfriend  
Who looks like a girlfriend  
That I had in February of last year  
It's not confidential  
I've got potential_

_Ready? Let's roll onto something new  
Taking its toll and I'm leaving without you  
Ready? Let's roll onto something new  
But heaven ain't close in a place like this  
Anything goes but don't blink you might miss  
Cause heaven ain't close in a place like this  
I said heaven ain't close in a place like this  
Bring it back down, bring it back down tonigh  
Never thought I'd let a rumour ruin my moonlight_

_Well somebody told me  
You had a boyfriend  
Who looks like a girlfriend  
That I had in February of last year  
It's not confidential  
I've got potential  
A rushin', a rushin' around_

_Pace yourself from me  
I said maybe baby please  
But I just don't know now  
When all I wanna do is try_

_Somebody told me  
You had a boyfriend  
Who looks like a girlfriend  
That I had in February of last year  
It's not confidential  
I've got potential_

(x3)

_A rushin', a rushin' around!_

". . .Oh my god." Nonoko and Anna said at the same time. Hotaru, who was filming the whole thing, (Hotaru likes to take videos of 'popular' people and sell their pictures to their lame fanclubs. All for money.) slowly pushed the off button, and looked at me, with her amethyst eyes.

Permy was just rubbing her temples while murmuring, "Did I just . . . imagine . . . or?"

Just about I was about to say something, my phone, which was in one of Anna's pockets beeped. She fished it out for me, and passed me my phone. I had just gotten a text message from Aoi.

_Mikan, I'm more than sure that was for you!_

I clutched my phone tightly in my hands as I looked at my friends.

Permy then sighed, before she looked at me with a fed up looking smile plastered to her face. "That was unexpected. Normally his lyrics are about _fucking_ a girl. Not about trying to get her goddamn name. Or her gay-looking boyfriend." Permy stated.

Anna and Nonoko snorted, but Hotaru, still looking rather serious, said, "I guess he really took Aoi's lie seriously."

I nodded in agreement but I wanted to change the subject; honestly, I wasn't expecting a song to ever be written for _me, _let alone my _fake _boyfriend. So I quickly smiled and reminded my friends, "That was the last performance! They're going to tell us who's being eliminated now!"

"The Academy really does know show biz, putting the Crimson Abyss last." Hotaru commented, ignoring my last statement completely. "Save the best till last . . ."

I nervously laughed at that, but then Nonoko gasped, as well all heard the microphones crackle, and said, "Shhh guys! Listen out for the announcements! I can see Mr Jinno picking up some papers and the microphone!" We all responded to that by clutching each other's hand and lightly squealing. And right on cue, Jinno picked up the microphone and tapped on it to check it was working.

Then he started to announce, "Students, hope you all had a good night tonight. We've had sixty, very amazing performances tonight. But it is our duty to tell whose performances haven't been up to standards. We will be eliminating _twenty _performances today—" Many students gasped at that, and I couldn't help to pull a really ugly face at that scary teacher, before he continued, "yes, _twenty_. That is our final decision. So if you're name is called out, please come to stage, take a bow and exit the stage. If you're name is called out tonight by _me_, you'll be eliminated. But on the other hand, if you're name is called out by _Ms. Serina_, you may come on stage, and _stay _on stage, because you'll be going to the second round. So let's start shall we? . . . Aiko Hinamatsuri. Maho Mizuno. Kousuke Tarou. Mizuki Arashima. Please come and take a bow . . ."

There was lots of crying, of course I felt sorry for them, but my heart was pumping so fast, for myself. My palms were sweating, and I clutched onto Hotaru's arm tighter every time Jinno opened his mouth. Jinno had just said the nineteenth name. Oh god. If the twentieth name was my name I think I'll faint on stage. Please don't be me, please, please, please, please, please, please—

"_Mikan Sakura_."

I think I nearly barfed. Not to mention I felt stars in my head. All my friends gasped, except for Hotaru, who glared at Jinno, probably trying to kill him with her _eyes_.

I gulped, "Well guys. This is the end of my life. Good bye." I sighed, as I let go of my friend's arm, and I was going to slump of to the stage when—

"Sorry, that was a mistake. My apologizes, Mikan Sakura. Instead can the band _Juicy Butts _come on a take a bow."

I blinked. I paused. I gasped.

. . . _I'm in_?

I turned back to my friends, we had a breathless pause, before we all started to scream and jump around. I ran towards my friends, and hugged them all. I couldn't help squeal, and believe it or not, Anna was crying in happiness. We hugged each other so hard, it felt my life was being squeezed out of me, but to be honest, it was worth it. I gave an apologetic smile to the girl group _Juicy Butts _who were slumping off to stage, with scowls on their faces, as they glared at me.

"They were crap anyway. I mean their lyrics were so damn corny. Not to mention the lead singer looks like a hawk. Don't bother, don't bother Mikan." Permy said, as she patted my shoulder.

Even that was a bit mean to say, I just laughed, and playfully nudged her shoulder. We all saw Mr. Jinno pass the microphone to Ms. Serina, and we all squealed once more.

My god, the amount of squealing today is unbelievable!

"So," Ms. Serina's calming voice announced, "as you may have guessed, the rest of you are in. So now, I shall be calling each and every one of you contestants! Please come up to stage when you, or your group or band is called. Rose Denmai … _etc _… Hotaru Imai … _etc _… Sumire Shouda … _etc _… Anna and Nonoko … _etc _… Mikan Sakura … _etc _… and last but definitely not least, Crimson Abyss!" My friends and I were already on stage, laughing all together, and chanting, when Ms. Serina said the last contestant's name.

And as expected, as soon as the _Crimson Abyss_ came on, all looking insanely sexy, the crowd went wild. The males of the crowd also went wild when group _Bunny Love_ came on wearing their vile bunny clothing.

This day was definitely a day to remember. And frankly, even if the song _Wow _was dedicated to that ninny, I was never going to forget it. So after more curtseys and laughing, the stage lights turned off, and that was the cue for us to leave and celebrate in our own ways.

We all left the stage, and we kept on chanting the same words, which were, "Yay! We're in! Yay!" I know, it was repetitive, but it made me laugh harder. And just when I thought nothing in my life could go wrong, I saw him.

Natsume Hyuuga was right in front of me smirking.

And then the deal came back to me.

Oh shi—

"Tomorrow. Eight o'clock. I'll come to your place to pick you up. Be ready." And with those short sentences, he left me, just to gape at him in horror.

. . .

. . . . !

Oh my god, how could I have forgotten about the deal? How could I have ever let this happen to me, how stupid was I? This day was not supposed to have a crap ending, it was supposed to have a happy ending—

"What the hell was that about?" I could tell by the tone of Permy's voice that she was angry.

But before I could reply, a chirpy voice called to us, "Well done all of you!"

We looked back and we saw Aoi run over to us. She hugged each and every one of us, and we all thanked her for the banners she had made for us. But then she frowned and asked me, "What did my brother want?"

"He said, _Tomorrow. Eight o'clock. I'll come to your place to pick you up. Be ready._" Permy angrily repeated, through gritted teeth. Aoi gasped and she looked at me with shock written all over her face. "So what was that all about, Mikan?" Permy added, with suspicion in her emerald eyes. I sighed, and reluctantly I told them about the whole deal. And when I had finished my story, they all looked horrified.

"Mikan you idiot! Of course you would have gotten in! Did you see how crap some people were?" Permy demanded, as she shook my shoulders.

"I'm sorry." I meekly replied a bit scared by Permy's reaction.

Permy took a deep breath, and let me go and rasped, "I'm sorry for that. Its just Mikan, that was a really stupid thing to do. You honestly don't understand what this Natsume Hyuuga can do to you. It only took me one conversation to be put under his spell."

"His spell?" I repeated with my eyes scrunched up in confusion.

"Natsume Hyuuga . . . he has this _charm_ about him that makes him irresistible. He can honestly get you to fall hard in love with him so easily." Permy slowly replied, as she swallowed rather thickly.

And that's when I felt really stupid. Why did I make that dumb deal? That was really insensitive of me. I regretted it completely, for Permy's sake and my sake. I hugged the sniffling Permy.

"I'm sorry." I apologized.

She patted my head and replied, "It's fine. I mean, it's one date, right? And you're a clever girl. You won't fall for him."

Before any of us could do anything, the speakers crackled once more, and we heard Mr Reo's stoic voice say, "Students who have passed the first round, please assemble to the school hall for a very brief meeting." Without any complaints, we just all linked arms, and went over to the school hall. Aoi on the other hand, said she'd be waiting for us in our room, so Hotaru gave Aoi her keys. I glanced at Permy, and I was glad she was back to her normal Permy self.

When we got to the school hall, we all sat down, and sighed. "What do you think it's about?" I asked Hotaru.

Hotaru shrugged but replied, "Well, we're here to find out." I nodded, and with a bored look on my face, I gazed at the front of the hall. And just as Anna and Nonoko had pulled a joke about Mr Narumi's outfit today, Mr Reo picked up the microphone and said into it, "Well done students for tonight. Well done you lot for getting in; you all pulled an amazing show. So now, we are here to explain about the second round."

There was a murmur of excitement, but Mr Reo continued, "The second round will take place on Christmas Eve. So as you can tell, you have over a month to get your second piece ready. The rules are the same: you must create new music and lyrics." We all nodded, but to be honest, it seemed like most of the students just wanted to get back to their rooms. But then Mr Reo said added, "And as some of you must have remembered, the rounds from now have a set genre or a theme, I may call it."

I gasped. Because I completely forgot about that. And by the looks of things, it looked like everybody else did too, as they all were now groaning in their hands.

"In the Second Round, we would like you all to produce a song with the theme of _seduction__**.**_"

My mouth gaped open, and so did all my friends. We had to write a _seducing_ song? All the students had now broken out shouting, and laughing, and some even were whooping. I saw from the corner of my eye Natsume giving a throaty laugh, and giving a lazy high five to his best friend. Well no shit, I guess he was an expert on seducing. Even the Luna Koizumi was jumping up and down from excitement. Was I the only one who was shocked out of my mind? Not to mention, _disgusted?_

Apparently not.

"How the hell is my fucking violin supposed to make a seducing sound?" Permy demanded, with a look of horror on her face.

"What about the fucking piano?" Hotaru spat.

"What about Anna and I? We're experts on the slow country sort of music! What the—"

"So," Mr Reo continued before Nonoko could finish her sentence, "you must all produce a song that is seducing, and will tempt the crowd. Lacking of clothes is advised." The students tittered at that, but I did not feel amused at all. "Dirty dancing, flashy clothes are well advised for this round."

What the hell? This Academy is mental! They're telling us it's fine—more like _advising _us—to dress as a sluts.

Do my parents _know _what they are paying for?

"People who do not quite understand the concept of what seducing means, in our world, it means a song that will want to tempt the opposite gender, or the same for some people, into wanting to have sex with them." I nearly gagged. This was going to be like a porn show. "So with those lingering words, I am saying goodnight, and see you next time on Christmas Eve." The teachers all left, and some students looked like they were going to go get some beers in celebration, the band _Crimson Abyss _and _Bunny Love _being some.

"This school is mental." I slowly commented, trying to break the tension that my friends and I were producing.

"Seducing?" Permy frantically repeated. "I own a fucking violin! And violins don't make a fucking seducing sound! I'm not going to get through the second round!"

"Nonoko, this is way out of _our _set genre, which is simple slow country music." Anna sadly sighed.

Hotaru looked deep in thought, but then she sighed and said, "I'm in some deep shit."

"Same." I said.

But then all my friends looked at me, with their eyebrows raised.

Permy sighed before she said, "You are not in shit at all Mikan! You're a pop singer! You can make a seducing song easily!" She clicked his fingers as she said easily, trying to convey the easy image, but I shook my head and sadly said, "I've never written a love song, or anything like a seducing song."

We all sighed, and then Permy said, "I guess we'll have to do some homework on how we can work this out."

"I hate homework!" I whined.

"Pfft. Doesn't everybody?" Permy scoffed.

Why do people hate homework? Because it's work you have to do at home, and not to mention, it hurts your head! So now, my head is going to pound so badly, because my homework is about 'How to write a seducing song?'

Any ideas?

**0**

**End of Chapter Seven**

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	9. Natsume Hyuuga is Chuck Bass

**Disclaimer:** Ahh, if only, if only . . .

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**My Happy Ending  
**_**by Little Miss Giggle**_

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**Chapter Eight: Natsume Hyuuga is Chuck Bass**

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_I don't need no superman, with special powers and a fake tan,  
to try and save the day for me.  
Why can't he just let me be?_

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**Again, this chapter is in the POV of Mikan Sakura. Sorry for the inconvenience. I also will say this chapter has a reference of Gossip Girl—if you do not know the characters, it will not effect the story, don't worry.**

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Honestly, I just wanted to crawl in bed, and die in the warmth, and snugness.

Sometimes I think life is a computer game, like Sims, and if you have a good life, a clever person controls you. I obviously have an idiot controlling me, or else why would my life be filled with dumb things like _this_? _This _being the fact I made the stupidest deal in the history of stupid deals with the notorious Natsume Hyuuga. I now have to go on a bloody date with him.

Tomorrow night.

Tonight was supposed to be a magical night, the night where I sing my heart out in front of them students. Believe you me, it _was _a magical night, and it _would_ have been if I never had made a deal with him. But the deal wasn't the end of my nightmare, _nooooo_, after that, I found out the next genre/theme for the Music Competition.

_Seduction_.

Brilliant. Just brilliant.

"Guys! Quit the dead mood!" Aoi exclaimed as she nudged me in the shoulder. I looked down at her, and gave her a weak smile. "Oh, come on Mikan! We all know you're a clever girl! Of course you won't fall for my brother—one date won't change everything! So stop thinking so deeply about it!—And the rest of you!" Aoi glanced over at my other friends, who also looked like zombies. Currently, we were all curled up in the sofa, with bundles of blankets suffocating us, and watching television.

As soon as the meeting had ended, (telling us the worst news of our lives) we all retreated to our room, walking sluggishly, and muttering like old bats. Aoi had joined us too, expecting a celebration, but she must have been damn well shocked when she saw all our faces. As soon as we got back in our room, Anna had opened all the packets of crisps we had, all the Oreo's we had, all the Percy Pigs we had, just basically all the junk we had, and tipped it all into one big bowl. You know how people say people eat when they're depressed?

Well it's true.

Comfort eating.

"I don't get it!" Aoi whined. "I would understand why Mikan would be upset; she's the one who has to go on a date with Natsume, but the rest of you? Why you guys depressed? You're not the one going on a date with him—"

Then it hit me. Because I had realised we hadn't told Aoi about the meeting.

"I thought you told her about it!" I said, as I threw popcorn at Anna.

"I thought Permy had already told her, so I didn't tell her nothing!" Anna retorted back.

"Me? I've hardly even spoken after that!" Permy cried.

"Wait, wait! What are you guys talking about?" Aoi excitedly asked. "Am I missing something big?"

I sighed, "Don't get your hopes up, Aoi." Before I continued, "You know the meeting we had to go to?"

"Meeting? You mean the meeting you went to after the announcements?" Aoi suspiciously asked.

Nonoko nodded in reply, and then Hotaru's explained in a drawling tone, "The stupid judges told us the next genre for the next round, in the meeting," Aoi's eyes widened in excitement, "we've got to produce a seducing song." It was if that feeling of shock washed me again, and then I groaned, and dug my head in the blanket.

Aoi blinked.

And blinked again before she furrowed her eyebrows at us in complete and utter bewilderment. "Well what's so bad about that? Loads of songs are about sex and making out. Take 50 Cent for example, all his songs are dirty."

"Yeah of course he's songs are dirty—it's 50 Cent! He's a _rapper._" Permy snapped, clearly erupted. "_I_, on the other hand am _not _a rapper! Tell me Aoi—how the hell is a violin supposed to _seduce _you, huh?"

Aoi laughed out loud before she could help it. I felt my eyes narrow, and I muttered, "You traitor, Aoi!" She didn't stop giggling, and stuffed her mouth with popcorn, in vain to reduce the laughter, but before long, bits of popcorn were flying all over the place. A bubble of laughter escaped my lips before I knew it, my problems all seemed have disappeared, as I laughed, "Permy! You've got chunks of popcorn in your curls!"

"_What?_"

Anna's fluffy cotton-candy hair, which seemed flat, seemed to crackle and buzz, as soon as she started to laugh. Nonoko was not only laughing, but she was squealing and snorting like a little piglet! Hotaru, who seemed she wanted to murder someone before, started to chuckle as she saw dangling wet popcorn in Permy's black shiny hair.

"Gross!" Permy exclaimed as she picked popcorn out from her hair with her long manicured nails. "Aoi!" she scolded, and she whipped her head back and shot the giggling Aoi a glare, before she muttered something dark under her breath.

"Aww Perms! I'm sorry!" Aoi sweetly said, as she squeezed Permy's hand.

Permy quickly repelled Aoi's hand before she turned to look the other way, with a girlish scowl on her face, replied, "Apology _not _accepted."

". . . I'll let you use my shampoo if you forgive me. You know, the one you've been wanting to try this whole term? The coconut, pineapple, and jasmine one?"

Permy's breath, as expected, hitched. Then, with what seemed like reluctance and an if-I-must look, she turned to face Aoi, and answered, "Well I suppose my hair needs a wash now you've showered it with your spit. So yes, I do forgive you."

I laughed as I saw the two girls give each other hugs, and commented, "You guys are so weird!" I then turned to my best friend who looked snug as a bug, so I edged closer to her and put my head on her shoulder. The happiness that lit in me had already been blown out, because now, I was thinking about Hyuuga. "What am I going to do tomorrow night, Hotaru? I'll tell you what!" I continued, before she could answer, "I'm going to die!" I whined.

Hotaru gently patted my head before replying, "No idea."

I sighed, and popped another Maryland Cookie in my mouth. "This sucks. Life sucks."

"Well!" Aoi happily announced, "On the contrary, I cannot wait to see you guys perform your next pieces! It's going to be great!"

"Yeah right. Aoi," Nonoko snorted, "country music doesn't _do_ seducing. It's more . . . dancey or mellow!" Nonoko exclaimed with a look of despair.

"And the piano? Have you ever heard a piano piece that made you think _Ooh! Let's have sex! _. . . I don't think so." Hotaru flatly said.

"Anna and Nonoko, you have your voices to make to seducing! Hotaru, you have whole piano, which mind you has many octaves and notes, to sort that out! And me? I've only got a couple of strings and a fucking bow! I think I win on the debate: Who's life is the worst!" Permy cried.

"Calm down, Permy!" I said in a soothing tone, and I stretched my hand out to her hair, and started to play with her short ebony black hair. "You're not the only one who's doomed. I'm pretty much in deep crap myself—"

"Yeah!" Anna agreed. "Mikan's totally fucked up! I mean, come on! Permy look at it this way, Mikan doesn't know how to even write a love song, let alone a seducing piece, and to make it worse, she has to go on a date with _Natsume Hyuuga_ tomorrow! How do you feel now?"

"I feel the urge to down a whole bottle of vodka." Permy bluntly replied. I laughed out loud, and resumed playing with Permy's hair.

Aoi suddenly stood up, and then said, "I'll be right back. I'm going to go get some paper to sketch on." She drifted off to the table and pulled out some sheets of paper.

"Sketch? Sketch what?" I repeated with my eyebrows furrowed.

Aoi gave a tinkling laugh before answering, "Silly, it's for you! I'm designing your outfit for the next round!"

I squealed in delight, and kicked my feet up, which mind you was buried under blankets, and started to shake them in the air. "Yay!" I cheered. "What's it going to be like?" I excitedly asked, as I edged closer to her, even though the sheet of paper was completely still blank.

Aoi bit her lip and gazed at the paper, and then her eyes lit up as if she had an epiphany. She turned back at me and she wiggled her eyebrows at me, "It's going to be drop-dead sexy."

I laughed, and replied, "As long as it covers my boobs, I'm fine."

Aoi didn't reply, but her eyes twinkled.

"God, he's so fit!" Permy moaned, before she proceeded by squealing like a maniac. I twirled my head around, and saw her drooling at the dark-haired character on the television.

I snorted before I replied, "Come on, Perms! Nate is so much fitter than Chuck!" We were watching _Gossip Girl_ on telly, Season One had just started a few weeks ago, and us girls were already hooked.

"No! _Chuck_ is the bomb!" Anna argued.

"Urgh! We cannot be twins! You did _not_ just say that!" Nonoko scoffed. "Nate Archibald all the way!" I cheered to that, and we both gave each other a high-five.

"Well Ed Westwick, who plays Chuck, is actually British. When you hear his British accent, you will fall into his arms!" Permy gushed, as she stared at the Chuck with hearts dancing in her eyes. "What do you think, Hotaru and Aoi? Who would you go out with?"

"They are both repulsive. One's a player, and the other one's a cheater. They disgust me." Hotaru curtly answered. ". . . Dan Humphrey, I think he's the best—"

I interrupted by spitting everything that was in my mouth when I heard Hotaru say that. I laughed so hard I could feel tears clouding my eyes. "Dan Humphrey?" I repeated through my laughter, _"Dan Humphrey!"_ Even though I couldn't see, because my eyes were cloudy, I could sense Hotaru's glare on me. And in the behind me, I could hear Anna, Nonoko and Aoi spluttering with laughter.

"_Mikan Sakura!_"

My laughter died down a bit, when I heard Permy shriek my full name. I hastily wiped the dribbles of tears from my eyes, and my I turned to look at her.

Everything that was in my mouth, which included of Oreo's, crisps, Haribo's and many more, were now neatly nestled in Permy's hair. She looked damn well furious, not to mention disgusted. I stared at her hair for a moment, starry eyed, but then, I laughed so hard, I could feel my ribs vibrate, and my stomach contract. I felt as if I was going to puke because I was laughing so hard, but I couldn't help myself! I could hear blood beating in my ear, but in a faint distance, I could hear Anna, Nonoko, Aoi and even Hotaru roar with laughter.

"You absolute _pig__!_" Permy shrieked. "My hair is not a rubbish bin!" She then turned to the jar of peanut butter, dug her whole fist in it, and then lunged to me, smothering my face, hair and neck with peanut butter. I screamed mercy, but I was laughing so hard, the words came out incoherent. We were both in fits of laughter, but after a minute or so, I felt the stickiness of peanut butter.

"Ew! Yuck!" I said, with a horrified expression on my face, as I put my finger to my face.

"Serves you right!" Permy triumphantly stated.

"I am taking two baths tonight!" I announced.

Hotaru, who had been sitting next to me, had now moved away from me, and when I pouted, she explained, "I'm not going near you. First of all, you stink of peanuts, and you're sticky. I hate sticky. Secondly, you laughed at Dan Humphrey."

"But Dan's a sod!"

"Well he's not repulsive." Hotaru simply answered. She turned to Aoi and said, "What do you think? Whose the best out of Chuck, Nate and Dan?"

Aoi looked deep in thought, and glanced at the telly as she scrunched her lips. But then she replied, "Well . . . Chuck is the sort of person you'd sleep with. Nate is the sort of guy you would like to bring home to show your parents. And Dan is somebody I'd like to have as a best friend." Well all edged closer to her, excited for her answer. "I think I'd go for Dan too."

Hotaru had a smug smile on her face, as she patted Aoi on the head. Permy looked horrified, both Anna and Nonoko were gaping and I asked, "Why? You said yourself you'd like Dan to be your best friend! And dating your best friend is apparently like dating your brother!"

"This girl is clever." Hotaru easily added.

Aoi tittered with laughter, but then she answered, "Why wouldn't I go for Nate or Chuck? Well let's see, Nate, because he's so good looking and all, I'd be scared that loads of girls would flirt with him, and those _loads of girls _would be pretty supermodels. What if he cheats on me? I'd go insane if I had such a popular good looking boyfriend, who mind you, is very sociable and friendly, meaning he'd be easy to befriend." I thought about that, and now Aoi had mentioned it, it sort of made sense.

"Okay then, fine. Why not Chuck then?" Permy asked.

Aoi twirled her hands in her lap before replying, ". . . Because Chuck reminds me of my brother."

We all remained silent for a moment, while I glanced at the telly—and right on cue, Chuck came on, looking poised in his signature scarf.

"Bu-bu-but!" Permy defensively cried, "But Chuckactually is like that because he hates himself! He's convinced he killed his mother! He's not like your brother, who has no goddamn excuse for what he does! Chuck deep down inside, is a sweet guy, but he's just traumatized by his past! Hyuuga on the other hand, has no deeper side to what he is! And what is he? Evil, that's what! Case closed!" Permy frantically concluded, a determined look evident on her face.

Aoi cleared her throat, and her sudden unfocused eyes seemed as if they would water any moment, not to mention her little hands looked as if they were mildly shaking. I reached out to her hands, and curled my fingers around them—and they were. Her hands _were _shaking. I wasn't the only one who noticed Aoi's strange behaviour, both Anna and Nonoko were rubbing Aoi's back. Hotaru just sat back, observing all of us, while she popped open another can of her crab brains.

Permy gasped, before she gently said, "I'm sorry Aoi! Did I offend you?"

"N-No! Course not! I'm fine!" Aoi replied, as her nose sniffled.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Permy repeated. "I just keep forgetting he's your brother! I'm sorry if I ever called him a son-of-a-bitch, because I'm sure your mother is lovely!"

Aoi let out a stiff laugh before she closed her crimson eyes and inhaled deeply.

"Is there something you want to tell us?" Anna asked.

"No. I'm fine!" Aoi chirped. I know I'm not the brightest of girls, but I could tell from her tone of voice, and by her eyes that she was hiding something. Something big, and probably something she didn't want to mention. Aoi's crimson eyes turned to the television, as she watched Chuck leave the room on the screen. "He's not evil."

"Who? Chuck?"

"No, my brother. At least, deep down he's not. He's just . . ." She didn't finish her sentence; instead, she started to bite her nails. I glanced at Permy, and she looked desperate to argue back that Aoi was wrong and that Hyuuga was evil, but thank God she kept it in. Aoi then turned to Permy and continued, "Don't worry. I know what he did to you was unforgivable and brutal. As I person, I dislike him with passion. But as a sister . . ." she shrugged, obviously not able to finish the sentence. But then, in a small voice she said, "I feel sorry for him."

Permy's eyes softened, and she hugged Aoi and gently said, "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be! You did nothing wrong!" Aoi exclaimed, and hugged her back.

That was probably the first moment I realized that maybe Natsume, like Chuck, had something deeper going on in his life than what it looked like. But the thought went as quickly as it came, as a curious sensation filled my body . . . I glanced at my best friend, and I could see had an analyzing look on her face, directed at Aoi. Hotaru hated not knowing things, and honestly, so did I.

All the thinking probably made my head hurt, so I wanted to put my head down on the couch, but then I remembered the peanut butter smeared all over my face. I groaned and then said, "Perms, the least you owe me is your exfoliating face wash." While I pointed to my awful buttery face.

Hotaru snorted, and Anna and Nonoko laughed out loud. Aoi gave a cute girlish giggle, while Permy just sighed and replied, "Go on, you tramp! Go use my face wash and clean that manky face of yours!"

I smiled. "With pleasure!" I happily replied. I bounced off the couch, and hastily walked into our en suite bathroom.

**0**

I wiped my face with the hand towel, and peeped at the mirror. I looked like a piglet, my face was completely red from rubbing the peanut butter off so hard. My eyes scanned the area for a second before a little smile crept on my face . . . I'm _sure _Permy won't mind me using her moisturizer . . . right? I looked back, hoping she wasn't right behind me, before I quickly pulled the little pink bottle to my hands, then I squirted a dollop into my hands, and then I rubbed it all in my face.

With a smile on my renewed face, I walked out our bathroom, loudly announcing,"I feel _cleaaan__!_"

"Wonder why . . ." Hotaru sarcastically responded, while she rolled her pretty eyes at me.

I bounced back on the couch, snug next to her and I commented, "Hotaru, don't roll your eyes! You're pretty eyes won't be the same anymore!"

"I hope you didn't use my moisturizer. . ." Permy hissed.

I tensely looked at her, and saw how she was looking at me as if I was a criminal. I nervously laughed before I answered, "Pfft! What moisturizer?"

Permy kept her emerald eyes on me, eyeing me. It was if she was reading me like a book. Thank heavens Anna laughed, and broke the tension, saying, "Cool it, Perms! Don't you have something else to tell her?"

"Oh yes." Permy sweetly answered. It was amazing how fast this girl's mood could change—just like London weather! Nevertheless I sighed in relief, and looked at Permy. "While you were scrubbing your face with my effective face wash, me and the girlies had a bit of a thought. Mikan, you must be real depressed compared to us. Anna was right, you _are _totallyfucked up. Not only are you clueless on how to write a love song, you also have to go on a date with Aoi's brother. So to make you feel better, we've all come up with a g-good point," it seemed awfully hard for Permy to say the word _good_, "that Hyuuga has!"

"Huh?"

"Just listen to the points will you? We are trying to make you feel better! I had to think deeply about my point, because frankly, there are only a few good points about him!" Permy impatiently snapped back. Evidently, this exercise wasn't good for her. She cleared her throat before she said in a calmer voice, "Starting with you, Aoi."

Aoi smiled at me, and said in her extra sugary voice, "Natsume only goes for pretty girls. So, because he's targeted you, you must be pretty!" I snorted. Yeah, like that made me feel a billion times better. What's worse, he's _targeted _me? What am I? A pheasant?

"Mikan," Nonoko said. I turned to look at her, and she continued, "Natsume Hyuuga. One word: Popular. This guy is known in Tokyo! Before we know it, there's going to be television ads that feature him! Dating Hyuuga might be like dating the young Leonardo Di Caprio!" I groaned. Because honestly, I didn't give a rat's arse about popularity . . . but Leonardo Di Caprio . . ._ that's_ a different story.

"Mikan."

"Yes, best friend?" I replied with a smile on my face.

"You're stupid," Hotaru bluntly started. I gaped and I looked at her with horror. Hotaru easily continued, "He's clever. He's got brains." Trust Hotaru to come up with a point that puts me down by the slightest!

"Thanks for that, darling." I sarcastically answered, with a sour look on my face.

I turned to Anna, hoping to hear a good point like, _He does charity work for the poor people in Africa! _Instead, Anna sweetly said, "He's Number One on the fit list, _and_ the Academy's best performer's list! Think like this Mikan, if you do and truly go out with him, Lord forbid, he can sing you to sleep!"

Yes, Lord forbid. _Forbid for eternity_.

"I think he's also Number One on the Donkey list. Because, you know, not only is he an ass, but every girl in Tokyo has probably ridden him." I commented, rather wittily. Anna, Nonoko, Permy all tittered with laughter, while Hotaru snorted. Poor Aoi on the other hand looked rather uncomfortable with that comment!

"Yes you are completely right." Permy agreed, amused. I then shuffled closer to her, as she loudly announced, "Last but _so_ not least: me! Okay, I actually have two points. First point, Luna Koizumi. That back-stabbing, plastic, fugly, evil, bitchy, nasty, horrible, disgusting, man-eating whore, slutty piece of shi—_ahem—_Luna. Everybody in the Academy knows she's more than desperate to get back with her ex-boyfriend Natsume Hyuuga. Judging from your stories, she's already jealous of you, so imagine how distraught she'd be when she finds out you went on a date Natsume? _She _doesn't need to know the date was an innocent date—let her imagination go wild and voila! She'd be ruined for good!" I could see evil glints in all of my friends' eyes, and I must admit, even I started to laugh evilly. Permy by far had the most sinister look on her face, before she continued, "Second point . . . He has _huge_ hands."

The room became silent. The only sound was Gossip Girl herself, faintly rambling on in the background.

I furrowed my eyebrows. "Huh?"

Then, Anna, Nonoko and Hotaru roared with laughter. Even Permy was laughing at her own statement, but Aoi on the other hand looked horrified, and with her hands covering her ears she cried, "Ew! Perms! I did _**not **_need to know that!"

Aoi threw a cushion at Permy's face, but Permy caught it with ease, and replied, "It's true though! They're _huge_!" Anna and Nonoko looked they were dying of laughter, and even Hotaru was trying hard to keep her cool.

Aoi on the other hand, hand hid her head under the blankets. "I am disgusted! Bloody hell, Perms! Couldn't you say that when I was out the room? He's my brother for Christ's sake! Gross!" I heard Aoi shout from under the blankets.

I on the other hand just looked at them all with a question mark floating above my head.

"What's all the deal with big hands? What's so funny?" I asked, with my eyebrows furrowed, my pout starting to surface.

Hotaru snickered, "Trust, innocent naïve Mikan Sakura not to know what it means."

"I don't get it!" I whined.

"Mikan!" Aoi exploded from under the blankets. "These people are nuts! Don't listen to them! Especially _that_ one!" Aoi accusingly pointed her finger to Permy. I turned to Permy with a pout on my face, and Permy wiggled her eyebrows at me. She then, pulled my head to her, and she whispered in my ear, "Easy as this Mikan. The bigger the hand, the bigger the _equipment_."

. . .

. . . .

. . . . . !

"_Perms! You complete and utter perv!"_

Nausea was washing over me. The twins were laughing at my reaction while Hotaru said, "Not to innocent now, are we, Mikan?"

Permy was rolling on the floor with laughter, chanting, "Did you see her face? Did you see her face? Aha!"

"Go to a therapist! You're disturbed, babes!" I loudly shouted at her, as I smacked her with a cushion.

Aoi shuddered and said, "Thanks for the image, Permy. I _really _wanted to see my brother's di—"

Suddenly, something rang shrilly, causing all of us, to jump in fear, and scream at the top of our lungs. It was after screaming my head off, and going purple, did we realise it was Aoi's mobile.

"Bloody hell, that scared the life out of me!" Permy gasped.

Aoi mumbled a curse under her breath, before she went over to pick up her phone. She huffed, as she flipped it open, only for silence to proceed. Then, she sighed, "Speak of the Devil. It's my brother." We kept silent, waiting for her to elaborate, but she never did. Instead, she snapped her phone shut, a solemn look on her face as she asked, " Do you know if he and some of his mates, and some other performers went to a bar after the meeting?"

"Yeah, he definitely did. As soon as they heard the genre, they got all excited, and decided to celebrate. Off to the pub they went." Permy answered. She had completely come out her hyper mood, and now looked calm, sitting up straight, with her green eyes slightly narrowed. So did everybody else actually.

So did I.

"Well, colour me shock." Aoi replied, a voice in between a whisper and a scoff as she rolled her eyes. "He wants me to call a cab for him to catch back to the Academy." She sighed and she walked back to the couch. She slumped down between Anna and me, with a hollow look on her face.

"What did the text exactly say, honey?" Anna asked.

She sneered, "Obviously, being pissed out of his mind, it was filled with typo's_. _Just said something along the lines of: call a cab to come get us from the usual pub._" _She snorted before she continued in a small voice, which I was sure was supposed to be heard by no one, "Even after _that _he can still get so drunk so easily . . ." But I had heard it. Clear as the day.

"So are you going to call the cab?" Nonoko asked, as she furrowed her eyebrows, in a disapproving manner.

Aoi sighed. "Yeah. I will now." Aoi replied, as she stood up from the couch, with her phone tightly clasped in her hands.

"What?" Permy cried after Aoi, who by now was making her way out of the living room. "Don't call the goddamn cab to rescue him! Let him suffer! Let him walk back to the Academy, drunk out of his mind! Maybe he'll lose his shoes if we're lucky!"

We all giggled with laughter, except for Hotaru, who rolled her eyes, and once Aoi was out of the living room and in the hallway, Hotaru turned to face Permy and said, "Idiot. Aoi isn't like that. Even though he tends to ignore her, for _some_ reason, I can tell she still actually wants him to be a part of her life. After all, she's his little sister."

"Yes, hello? Yes, I know it's late! But I would like a cab to come pick up my brother and some friends . . ."

Aoi's voice in the which echoed in the hallways rang in all our ears for a bit, but soon, it had disappeared in my world; I was in my own little bubble, thinking deeply about Aoi and her bond with Hyuuga. Hotaru's words really struck me, the words slashed my deeply, like a cut. I knew Hotaru was very intuitive, she had some sort of a sixth sense and her observation and evaluation on people were usually accurate. I kept quiet, and faintly heard Aoi thank whoever she was on the phone to. There was a moment's silent, and Aoi came back into the living room, letting out a deep sigh, and before anything else could happen, I said, "That was sweet Aoi. You're a lovely sister."

"With a baby of a brother." Permy slyly added, with a look of disgust on her face. "He should be ashamed of himself, getting his younger sister to do such things for him!"

"The things I do for him . . ." Aoi muttered, in a tone I was unfamiliar with—it sounded sound, yet so bitter at the same time, it was hard to tell which side she was leaning on. Aoi then turned to me, gazed into my eyes and said, "Mikan. I know we said those points, the good points, about my brother to you but—"

"Hon, honestly, none of those points were good enough for me! . . . Except for the Koizumi one, but that's doesn't matter. Heck, if _those _are the best qualities he possesses, then he's screwed. I'm only giving your brother one chance. And so far, it seems like he's going to screw up anyway." I hinted to her phone, with a look of disdain on my face.

Aoi blinked before serenely smiled, "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For giving him a chance, even though he _has _nochance with you."

"Only one. One chance, one date." I promised.

"Pfft." I heard Permy sneer. "He doesn't evendeserve a chance with Mikan. He should just be with Koizumi, so be it! As if I care!"

"Mikan," I heard Anna call my name. I turned to her, and looked at her, urging her to carry on; she fiddled with her thumbs as she confessed, "I'm worried. Worried that he'd do the same thing he did to Permy to you."

I opened my mouth then closed it, because Permy now looked at me, with fire in her eyes. "Mikan," She firmly said, "Promise me you won't make the same stupid mistakes as I did. No matter if he's popular, hot, or even if he has huge hands! . . . Just, please. Don't fall for him."

I nodded and smiled at all my friends. "Hoes over bros, chicks over dicks." I answered, with a cheeky grin on my face.

Hotaru smiled, and nodded her head in approval. Anna and Nonoko gasped and started to laugh. Aoi giggled, while Permy commented, "You and your dirty little mind, Mikan Sakura!"

I gasped, "Like _you _can talk!" before we all started to laugh.

"Come on folks! I'll go make us all some hot cocoa! Aoi, I take it you'll sleepover tonight?" Anna asked.

"If I can!" Aoi chirped back.

"You can share my bed!" I excitedly offered.

"Wait guys! We've only solved problem number one, Natsume Hyuuga! But we haven't solved problem number two! What are we going to do about the Competition?" Permy asked, as pushed her curls back behind her ears.

"I'll tell you what." Hotaru calmly said, "We are going to be sophisticated young women, and not think about it, until time comes closer. The competition is on the 25th of December—Christmas. We've still have a while."

We all nodded in agreement, while Permy smacked her lips and stood up from the couch, "Alright now that's settled . . . Oh, and can I just add one more thing before we tuck ourselves into bed?"

"What now, honey?"

There was a breathless pause all we all looked at Permy who had a serious look on her face, but then suddenly, she loudly announced, "Chuck Bass is the fittest! Woop!" And with that, she scrambled to her bedroom, laughing manically on the way. "Chuck Basssss!"

_My friends are freaks. I'm a freak. I love our freaky little bond._

**0**

I am glad to say that it was a Sunday morning the next day. Meaning I got to sleep in.

I was in peace when I woke up—mind you, waking up on a Sunday means you get to open your eyes _whenever_ you want to, not like dumb old Monday, were you are _forced_ to open your eyes in the morning—and enjoy the warm, toe-tingling smell of coffee, and blueberry muffins. I sighed in happiness, as I yawned, I stretched my arms, and clicked my fingers, before I slipped out of bed. I stumbled over to the kitchen, and a smile lit my face when I saw my friends gathered on the dining table.

"Good morning !" I sleepily called. But then my eyes traveled to the living room. I felt my eyes bulge—it was a mess, it looked as if it had been bombed! "Oh my God! What happened? Did we get robbed last night? Oh my God, don't tell me it was tramps—like in that movie! Tramps came into our dorm! Oh God, we better call the polic—"

"Calm down, idiot!" Hotaru interrupted. "That's the mess _we _made last night. We didn't get robbed. Nor did _tramps _come into our dorm. Besides," she sipped her coffee, "I would murder if anybody got through the front door while I am sleeping."

I blinked at Hotaru before I looked back at the living room. Heaps of blankets; crumbs everywhere; empty packets dead on the floor . . .

". . . That was _us?_"

Anna and Nonoko tittered with laughter. "Silly Mikan! Come 'ere girl! Have a muffin and a cup of coffee." Anna offered, as Nonoko patted the seat next to her, indicating her to sit next to her.

"G'morning Aoi!" I greeted, as I patted her head, on the way to my seat.

". . . Eh? Oh, yeah! Good morn Mikan!" Aoi slowly replied, rather sluggishly.

I giggled. It was obvious she was shattered. sat down on the seat next to Nonoko, and then my eyebrows furrowed at the empty seat next to me. "One . . . Two . . . Three . . . Four . . . Five –" I counted before I gasped. "Where's Permy?"

"You were dead asleep, but around thirty minutes ago, a crisis occurred." Hotaru started. My eyes widened. Crisis? Did I miss something? Was there an earthquake—?

"We ran out of coffee." Hotaru concluded.

". . . That was the crisis? Not an earthquake, or a tsunami or a volcano eruption—"

"No honey. We ran out of coffee." Nonoko sweetly answered. "And you know how we go insane without caffeine! So, we voted for Permy to go to the nearest Convenience Store to get some more coffee. No biggie, that's where she is now."

I laughed. Honestly, they're crazy! "But then," Anna continued, "Aoi was looking for the butter, and we found _more _coffee beans. In the fridge. How it got there I don't know but it was too late. Permy had already left. So basically, Permy is out there in the windy Tokyo streets for nothing!" I laughed out loud.

But then I thought a bit deeply on what Anna had just said . . . Oh, whoops. That was me who put the coffee beans in the fridge! Ah, well, what they don't know won't hurt them!

"Can't wait till she gets back and she sees us all sipping coffee! She'll go insane!" Aoi tittered. I bit deeply into my muffin, and enjoyed the moistness, and the sweetness of the shriveled up blueberries. "I bet you anything her hair will crackle and explode when she sees us, like in movies!" I exclaimed excitedly. I pulled my long auburn hair into a bun, since it was knotty and I couldn't be bothered with it, this early in the morning. I gazed out the window, and I pouted. The sky was grey, and it looked as if it was going to stay like that for the whole day, and the horizon, to my disappointment, was even duller.

Then I squealed. Because we heard the door whoosy open.

"You won't believe it!" Permy shrieked. We heard her taking her boots off, along with throwing her coat on the small side table, and before we knew it, she was in the dining room, with a look of anger on her face. "That whore Luna Koizumi! God almighty!" She roughly threw the plastic bag of shopping on the table, and she sat down besides me, with her arms tightly crossed against her chest.

"What she do now?" Aoi grimly asked.

"I'll tell you what she did! She tripped me over, and said, _Oooh! Sorry! I didn't see you! _Sorry my arse! And guess what I heard? Yeah, her and her stupid girl group, _Bunny Love_, did go to the pub last night along with _Crimson Abyss_, and other famous performers, like Mochu for example—"

"Mochu?" I asked as my nose crinkled. "Whose Mochu?"

"You haven't heard of him?" Permy asked, her eyebrow raised. I shook my head in reply, and Hotaru said, "I hear people talk about him. He seems pretty famous in the Academy."

"I've heard of him too." Anna and Nonoko said in unison. Aoi didn't bother agreeing verbally, but simply nodded her head, and put her hand up in agreement.

I pouted and I asked, "Why don't I know him? . . . Well who is he? What does he look like? What does he do—"

"Before you bombard us with questions, I'll tell you all about Mochu." Permy clearly said, as she put her hand over my mouth, preventing me from speaking. She cleared her throat and started, "In the Academy, as well as classical players like Hotaru and myself, we have singers like you, Anna, Nonoko and Mikan. We even have jazz players, and so much more. But we also have rappers."

"Oooh! Mochu's a rapper?" I excitedly interrupted. My excitement went silent when I saw the scowl on Permy's face. "Sorry." I mumbled. "Carry on, Perms . . ."

"_—Ahem—_Mochu is by far the most well known rapper in the Academy. People call him the Beethoven of RnB. Many rappers here respect him, and he is normally known to feature in songs, instead of rapping solo. In _Bunny Love_'s performance last night, there was a guy beat-boxing in the background, wearing that black cap, and a leather jacket. That's Mochu. Dark-skinned, dark eyes, sort-of afro hair. Tall, lean . . . know who he is, yet?"

"Yeah!" I answered. And I wasn't lying! "I've seen that guy around! I've seen him around Natsume's little group!"

"Yup." Aoi replied. "I heard him and my brother were pretty close. They're in the same year. I think Mochu has featured in some of _Crimson Abyss' _songs."

Mochu! A rapper! . . . But then my nose crinkled and I pouted. "Is he close to Luna and her goons? . . . Wait a second! If he featured in their song, with their group, does that mean Mochu is part of the _Bunny Love _group? That's lame!" I started to laugh, and snort like a piglet at the thought, but Hotaru's raised eyebrows brought me back to the reality life.

"Nah, Mochu, he switches from group to group." Permy answered. "And when I went out to get coffee," we all smirked knowingly at each other, "I heard the gossip! Apparently, Mochu might be going solo for this competition! He apparently said he'd do maybe two more rounds with a group, but then, when things get serious, meaning when it's no time for fun and games, he'd do his own thing! Ah, he's going to ace this competition!"

"Any more gossip?" Anna asked Permy.

"Duh! Okay, let's see . . . Oh yes! Apparently, Luna was so drunk last night she started to grind with the wall. But we don't care about that idiot. Knowing her, she probably wasn't even drunk; she just wanted attention . . . And, oh! Remember that singer Julia? Well, apparently, she's planning to go on stage naked for round Two, because she has no idea what to do! Ha, the idiot!" I laughed out loud, along with Anna, Nonoko and Aoi. Hotaru was just rolling her eyes. "And there's another idiot! Hanahime, the piano player, she's planning to play the piano with her tongue to make it more seductive!"

I snorted, and then laughed once more. The things some people come up with are outrageous!

"And Mikan," Permy called. I turned to look at her, and noticed she was no longer smiling, but instead, had a scowl on her face, "I passed Natsume on the way back. He stopped me, and reminded me to tell you about tonight . . . and the bastard even said, _Wear a mini skirt for your bad boy, eh_?"

It was Doomsday.

I had completely forgotten about tonight, the fact I had to go on a date with him. And now, the memory was now fresh in my mind.

No, no, no, no! Lord, you are cruel!

I cannot go on a date with this guy! This guy is the enemy! No, no, no! I refuse to go! I'm sick! I've got the measles!

"Ugh. Gross." Anna cringed, as she wiped some crumbs from her mouth. "He's such a perv."

"I knew that ever since the day he wore my bra on his head . . ." Aoi darkly said. "I was a mere innocent eleven year old, and I had got my first proper bra, and before I got to wear it, it was on Natsume's head." I laughed out loud.

"_Wear a mini skirt for your bad boy, eh?" _I repeated. "Yeah right. I'm going to go tonight dressed as a nun!"

"Ha, good one!" Nonoko commented.

But then I blinked three times, a smile forming on my lips, before replying, "I'm serious!"

Aoi then opened her mouth to say something when—

_"Why is there coffee on the table?"_

. . . We paused . . . Then I laughed out loud, along with all my friends, except for Hotaru who muttered, "Took you long enough."

Permy looked absolutely flabbergasted, as she blinked slowly, while scanning all of us.

"Awww poor Perms!" I jeered, as I purposely took a long sip of my coffee, "Mmm! Delicious coffee!" I saw Permy's eyes twitch, and just as we had predicted, her hair was starting the crackle.

"So, I had to move my arse for nothing? We had coffee in our dorm? And you didn't tell me? You guys suck!" She shrieked.

"Life is cruel." I sighed as I took another sip of my coffee.

"Awww, come on honey! Here, look, we saved three muffins for you!" Anna giggled, as she pushed the plate towards the fuming Permy.

"Three muffins that'd go straight down to my arse!" But nevertheless, she was already stuffing two in her mouth. But then her eyes bulged, and she swallowed the muffins as fast as possible, Permy looked as if she was going to explode! "Oh my God! I also have gorgeous news!"

See what I mean? This girl is unpredictable!

"So, while I was looking for coffee—goddamn you all!—I bumped into Rose. She asked me how I was, and all, and I really wasn't bothered to talk to her, but then, I saw in her bag, she had the Gossip Girl Season One DVD! So I asked her who of Chuck, Nate and Dan was the fittest. And guess who she said?"

"By the big grin on your face, I'd say Chuck?" Aoi guessed.

"Correct!" Permy happily sang. "So, Anna, my Chuck-Fan, we win!" Anna gave a squeal, and they both high-fived each other with triumph. I laughed at them, but then I returned back to my muffin, and took a big bite out of it.

Three words to describe Chuck Bass: Player. Player. Player.

In other words, he's Natsume Hyuuga. And I'd be Blair, I'm the new obsession, that would die down in a few weeks, as soon as he finds a new Blair.

Damn that Mother Chucker! Basshole! Basstard!

**0**

**End Of Chapter**

**0**

**A/N from 2012: **Tragically, when I first wrote this specific chapter, I was obsessed with Gossip Girl ... thus, the random references. Now, five years later I can say, I was trivial and silly, and yes, obsessed with the pretty people in that bloody show!

Dear me.

But for those who are confused about the character references:

_Chuck Bass:_ The playboy who has more going on in his life than you think.  
_Nate Archibald_: The nice blonde(ish) yummy guy.  
_Dan Humphrey_: The smart guy who is weirdly hot.

Or, as my friend puts it better: Chuck, the bloke you would want to sleep with; Nate, the guy who you would want to bring home to your parents to; Dan, the guy who you would want for a best friend.

**QandA.**

**Q: **Aoi. Is a roommate or just a friend who is constantly in Mikan's room?  
**A: **Ha, well she's not a roommate. She's just a friend who is constantly in their room. It's not she doesn't like her own roommates, it's just she enjoys spending time with Mikan and co. more.

**Q: **I don't get the big hands deal?  
**A: **That probably means you're too young to understand . . . come back a year later and then you might understand! _  
_


	10. First Date

**Disclaimer: **Obalaydooblay. Blah blah blah. Jibbery jabbery jibberish. No. I don't own it. Clear enough? Goobadooba doo?

**0**

**My Happy Ending  
**_**by Little Miss Giggle**_

**0**

**Chapter Nine: First Date**

**0**

_I don't need no superman, with special powers and a fake tan,  
to try and save the day for me.  
Why can't he just let me be?_

**0**

Mikan looked at herself in the mirror as an evil smile lit her face.

Her reflection looked back at her with the same malicious glint in the eyes.

"Ohoho, Natsume Hyuuga, be prepared to be embarrassed to the moon and back." Mikan cackled to herself, as she clapped her hands in excitement. Hotaru smiled proudly at their creation and thought that all the hard work that the girls had gone through was now most definitely worth it. Hotaru, Anna, Nonoko and Permy had transformed Mikan into a disgusting neek by the time it was seven thirty—just in time; "Perfect timing, I guess my schedule was immaculate." Hotaru has commented, rather to herself.

And this was all for darling Hyuuga.

Mikan's beautiful espresso hair was like a bird nest. It was extremely messy, and it was bundled up on the top of her head with a hairnet. Her sparkling eyes were concealed by fake glasses; she was covering most of her upper body with a yellow knitted jumper, which belonged to Hotaru. Obviously Hotaru had never worn it in her life, it was knitted by her Grandma, who was blind as a bat. Mikan's tanned legs were covered by a pair of neon pink woolly socks, which went straight up to mid-thigh. Permy gave Mikan tartan skirt to wear, which truly, and honestly made Mikan look like a nun as it went way down to her ankles. To top it off, she wore crocs.

_Crocs._

Anna and Nonoko, the two genius make-up artists made Mikan's skin look greyer, murkier than usual.

"Here," Permy said, as she pulled an ancient looking bottle from her little bag, "spritz this perfume on you. It was my Great Aunt's perfume. To say it smells like onions is an understatement."

Mikan laughed, and took the bottle from her, "Thanks Perms!—Oh God!—You're right, it _does _stink!"

"I can smell it from here." Hotaru said with her nose crinkled.

Anna and Nonoko laughed, but nevertheless, they held their nostrils together with a hair clip they got from their bags. "Mikan," Anna started, "Go over the plan with us one more time, to double check!"

Mikan nodded and answered, "When he comes ringing on the doorbell, I'll answer the door, and immediately go out with him. And I shall be—"

"Annoying and chaotic as Satan himself," Hotaru interrupted, ". . . Carry on Mikan."

"And as I am Satan," she grinned, "I shall act like I am a date from hell!" Her friends nodded, and cheered in approval, and Mikan tinkled with laughter. She looked back at herself in the mirror. She snorted at herself. Just imagine! What sort of gossip would be buzzing tomorrow about Natsume when he is seen out on a date with a horrendous creature? What would people say? What would happen to his reputation? Questions like these kept the girls laughing when they imagined how horrified his face would be when he sees his date looking like well . . . an extreme freak.

There was a light knock on the door, and Permy gasped, "He's thirty minutes early—?"

Hotaru stood up and walked over to the front door, as she answered, "No, it's Aoi."

Aoi's cheeks were glazed pink, and she had an exhilarating look on her face and she dropped the bag she carried by the front door. "It's so cold out there!" she remarked, but then she frantically continued, "Where is she? Where is Mikan—_Oh my frigging Lord!—_Mikan! Is that you?"

Hotaru snickered as the rest of them laugh. Mikan nodded and replied, "I look a right nasty sight, don't I?" She laughed again before adding, "Your face was priceless, honey!"

Aoi had come closer to Mikan to get a better view and she walked around her, and looked her from head to toe, "Bloody hell guys, you did a great job!—Ew, what is that _foul_ smell?—I can hardly tell it's her!" she admired as she nodded her head in approval, "But the only problem is your lovely smile Mikan! Try make it a bit more . . . goofy!"

"Like this?" Mikan replied before she comically widened her eyes, and stuck her teeth out like a horse, which earned her sniggers and laughter.

"Perfect!"

"Mikan," Permy said, "Make a mental note of this. Hyuuga hates girl who are clingy, annoying and just generally a fan. So act now like you are head over heals for him, okay?"

Mikan nodded before she sighed, "I better get an award for this."

The girls laughed a bit more, and talked about Mikan's plan for tonight for a bit longer, before Permy took a deep sigh and mumbled how she was doing awfully on making up a piece for her violin for the next round. Anna answered, "The first round was only yesterday Perms! Why you thinking about it now? We have like a month, _more_ than a month!"

Hotaru took a bite of an apple before replying, "I think Shouda is doing the right thing. I've already started on writing my piece."

Mikan felt her jaw drop, "Say what? Hotaru, _you're _the one who said yesterday that we shouldn't think about the next round till later—"

"I've just drafted it. Nothing big." She took another big bite from her apple, "Besides, I'll rather get it over and done instead of doing it last minute."

Anna, Nonoko and Mikan twitched . . . Should they start writing their music and lyrics now too? But then the genre fell back in the twin's mind. Then Nonoko slowly replied, "Okay. Anna, while Mikan is out on her date," she lightly sniggered, "_we_ are going to start on our piece, 'kay?"

"Right, sister!"

Aoi smiled and said, "Good thing I brought my notebook today! I've already got a vague idea on your next costume idea!" Mikan cheered and squealed excitedly, before Aoi continued, "Mikan, love, you're going to have to do around twenty crunches a day before the Second Round to get your stomach toned!" Anna, Nonoko and Permy laughed out loud, while Hotaru snorted. Mikan, on the other hand had stopped cheering and a clear pout erupted on her face.

Aoi added, "I'll finish your final sketch by the time you get back, you'll understand why later."

Mikan still had a pout on her face, but then Aoi laughed, and squeezed Mikan's arm before saying, "Don't worry, after the Second Round, you never have to do crunches again."

_Crrrunncchh_, went Hotaru's apple. What a perfect timing.

Mikan's pout gradually disappeared; it was if she was like a little girl, who just got better when she was offered candy. "Only twenty crunches a day . . . that won't kill me!" She optimistically said, but then her mood went down as if she was a candle that just got blown out, "You guys are all going to have a head start on your pieces, while I have to go have food with a guy I hardly know and hardly like."

"Well," Permy said as she put one of her dark curls behind her ears, "Hyuuga might be a skirt-chasing prat, but he does know how to make a girl happy. Like me, he knew that I liked chocolate, and on every date he took me to, he'd always get me a box of Guylian's chocolate. Of course," she started to hiss like a cat, "in the long-term, all those boxes of chocolates only make my arse bigger. Not only did he crush my heart into a thousand pieces, he also made my thighs and arse as big as the London Eye!" Permy then growled, "I take it back. Hyuuga _is _a skirt-chasing prat, that doesn't have a clue on how to make a girl happy."

Hotaru snorted, "That ended dramatically."

Mikan crinkled her eyebrows and said, "A box of chocolate on every date? That sounds so sweet, yet I can't imagine Hyuuga going into a shop and getting a box of chocolate for a girl—"

"Hate to break this to you Perms," Aoi interrupted, looking at the scowling curly haired friend, "but Natsume never _bought_ those chocolates. All those Guylian's were probably given to him by his fans, and instead of trashing them; he just passed them on to you. That's what I think anyway, at least, that's what he did with Luna—"

"How _dare _he!" Permy screeched, "Not _only _did he break my heart, make me fat, make me friendless, and cut me out from my social life, but he _also _gave me _second-hand_ chocolate! The nerve! The _bloody _nerve!"

Anna, Nonoko, Aoi and Mikan roared with laughter, while Hotaru simply rolled her eyes while muttering, "Drama queen . . ."

"Drama queen?" Permy repeated, with a contorted face, "I'll give you drama queen, you ungrateful, disloyal piece o—"

And then a single note silenced all the girls.

The doorbell had given a shrill ring.

"_Shit__!_"

After a pause of silence, all of the girls started to scramble, and jumble around. "Hyuuga's here!" Anna whispered, as she tripped over an umbrella. Nonoko quickly scanned Mikan for a last minute check, and then she pounced over to Mikan's bag, emptied everything in it, and transferred it all into what looked like a ball of wool, also known as Mikan's geek bag for the date. Permy muttered to herself, which was all incoherent, but it was obvious she was cursing, but then she tripped over Anna's body, which was sprawled in front of the front door -

"Ooof!" Anna wheezed, "Permy, that hurt!"

"Why were you on the floor?" Permy asked, half amused, and half irritated that she had just fallen flat on her face, "My nose better not bruise!"

Aoi was springing from place to place, squeaking, and she looked as if she was a mouse being chased by a cat. Mikan was mumbling the plan underneath her breath as she grabbed the ball of wool—her bag—and then _she _nearly tripped over Permy and Anna who were childishly arguing on the floor.

It was completely chaotic.

Hotaru was the only one who wasn't acting like, in her words, a complete babyish nutter. "Stop!" She commanded, and everybody froze and stopped talking once they heard that tone of voice, "All of you, pull yourselves together!"

The doorbell rang again. Well, Hyuuga was sure an impatient guy, no?

Hotaru let out a bottled up breath, and continued, "Instead of arguing Sumire, _get off_ Anna, and then both of you stand up. Then go into the bedroom and shut up. Nonoko and Anna stop panicking, and follow them into the bedroom. Mikan," she flashed her a calm look, "change of plan. Instead, _I'm _going to open the door, and then . . ."

**0**

Natsume sucked the insides of his cheeks while he leaned on the wall as he waited for his date to come out of her room.

Patience was never really in his dictionary; he was known to his friends as being the impatient one. He had already told himself that he was not going to ring again, ringing twice is desperate enough, and it obvious that Mikan Sakura was indeed in her room, as he could hear the scurrying of footsteps inside it. He bit his lip, as he saw far along the corridor, a group of noisy chatty teenagers approaching him, and he _knows _what happens when he's alone.

He gets ambushed.

Natsume throatily groaned, as he glared at the door, praying it for it to open soon—

And right on cue, the door whooshed open. His eyebrows rose as he saw, Polka's gothic best friend open the door. She looked at him as he was a mouse, maybe even a rat, and then her lips curled and she curtly said, "Hyuuga."

Natsume gave her a lazy nod in acknowledgment, before she continued, "Mikan will be with you . . . shortly."

They both heard a click of a door, and then Hotaru looked back, with a malicious smile on her face, as she saw Mikan approach to them. Mikan was completely unrecognisable, and she also had that goofy smile she had perfected earlier, plastered on her face.

"Ahh, here she is, Hyuuga." Hotaru said, in a matter of fact tone, as she shot the guy a look of superiority.

"Hi, Natsume!" Mikan giggled, as she clumsily waved her hand around.

Natsume's face remained stoic as ever, but there was a definite twitch just by his high cheekbones. Was this a joke? . . . But as Mikan approached him, suddenly, the corners of his mouth curved up, and he boldly took her unoccupied hand, which caused her to squeak. Natsume then turned to Hotaru, "I'll be borrowing your friend for some time." and without any more words, he swiftly pulled her out of her room.

Mikan squeaked again as she was dragged by his strong grasp out the front door, and she mouthed to Hotaru, "_What now__?_"

And before Hotaru could say anything, or do anything, Hyuuga has closed the door behind them.

For once, Hotaru bit her lip in defeat.

There was a moment of silence, but then Aoi, Anna, Nonoko and Permy all clambered out of the bedroom and demanded to know what had happened, "I thought the plan number two was to keep Mikan from going! I thought Hyuuga was going to take one look at Mikan, and then have second thoughts and leave! Where is she?" Permy asked.

"We heard him say something like, 'borrowing' and 'time'. Borrowing time, eh? What happened, Hotaru?"

"Plan backfired." Hotaru said through her clenched teeth, "Idiot has been dragged by the molester."

There was a gasp.

"Never underestimate Hyuuga is the lesson learnt today."

**0**

"Let—go—of—my—_Ow!_—too—tight!" Mikan growled as she tried to free herself from his iron grip, "Unhand my hand! I need it in life!"

Without moving his lips barely, he answered, "I'm taking you out on a date. And people who go on dates normally hold hands."

"True," Mikan answered with her teeth gritted, "but the boy normally doesn't _crush _the girl's hand! Loosen your grip, will you? Better yet, unhand me—"

She stopped talking as she heard him give a throaty snicker. He flicked her a look of amusement, with his eyebrows raised and then he said, "I thought you and your ludic_r_ous friends' plan was for you to act like a love struck teenager, who has an undying obsession with me. And your goal was to get me to leave you once I had found out that you were like every other wretched girl in that Academy . . . Too bad, because you're doing a very poor job of it, Mikan Sakura."

Mikan paused, and then a gasp escaped her lips, "Oh god!"

She smacked her head with the ball of wool.

Natsume kept a triumphant grin on his face, as he took her out of the Academy grounds. The two, were now, walking on the busy night streets' of Tokyo. The air was cold and harsh, and yet Natsume seemed completely unaffected, and continued on pulling Mikan closely behind him.

"How did you know our plan?" Mikan demanded, "Did you bug our room?"

He looked at her before drawling, "Do you really think I'd ever get that desperate to implant a microphone in your room?" There was a pause and then he fluidly explained, "You're easy to read."

Mikan gaped and demanded, "Easy to read? What kind of compliment is _that__?_"

Natsume shrugged, "It's not—Stop walking, I see a taxi—" He flicked his hand out, and lazily waved his hand to get the taxi's attention.

"I'm not even walking! I am being _dragged_; there's a huge difference to that!" She shrieked as she tried to throw herself away from Hyuuga, which earned her lots of scared looks. "I am not going on that goddamn taxi! I'm going back!" Mikan whined, as she fiercely tried to pull her hand away from this . . . this excuse of a gentleman! "I know how to do Sudoku, you know!"

Natsume looked at her with his cool eyes and asked, "The logic number-placing maths puzzle?"

Mikan laughed out loud, "No, you moron! The martial arts, Sudoku!"

Natsume looked back at Mikan with amusement and irritation dancing in his eyes, but then he coolly replied, "You're crazy."

Mikan's lips twitched and then she answered, "Crazy? You say _I'm_ crazy? _You're _the one whose dragging me to—"

"People around us clearly agree with me. There you are, a girl who is wearing a disgusting excuse of clothes, screaming hysterically, launching yourself away from me. People will think why are you trying to get away from such a good looking guy like me, and they will also question on why the hell is such a good looking like me is wasting time with a girl like you. That's the way the world works."

It took a while for the message to completely sink into Mikan's head, but once it did, she was about to rip her hair out, when thankfully, the yellow taxi swerved in front of them. The taxi window whizzed down, and a tired looking taxi driver bellowed to the two, "To where, Mister and—_Jesus_!"

Mikan's lips narrowed. Jesus, eh? That's what people say when they see a geek? That is disgraceful!

"Excuse me for that . . ." The taxi driver mumbled. Natsume gave a hollow smile before answering, "I _pray_ to Jesus Christ whenever I see her too." Mikan's eyes narrowed, and she purposefully squeezed his hand extra tightly, hoping to crush—no, _destroy—_his hand. There was no effect on him though, the idiot didn't even flinch or wince! Instead, Natsume placed his head in the window, and told the taxi driver where he wanted to be driven, with his _lovely _date.

Mikan was scowling and cursing in her head so loudly, that she didn't hear what Natsume had said to the taxi driver. And now, honestly, she didn't really care where she was going.

The taxi driver gave a simple nod in reply and answered, "No problem!"

Natsume then turned back to look at Mikan, who had a dark aura around her. "I see you're holding my hand rather fiercely."

"I hate you." Mikan simply said, and with that, she savagely wrenched the taxi door open, and sulkily climbed into the wretched taxi with Natsume following closely behind her. The taxi driver gave a worried look to Natsume as he shut the door behind him. "Lord save that that poor bloke." he very quietly whispered to himself, as he gently pressed on the acceleration to get onto the road.

"You know," Natsume said as he looked at Mikan, "I'm enjoying this."

Mikan glared at him.

"You need to work on your glare, Polka, it's not in the slightest bit scary. It's actually quite comical, especially as you have those ridiculous glasses on."

**0**

Natsume thanked the taxi driver as he dropped them off at their destination; he simply just passed a few notes of money and added, "Keep the change."

The taxi driver laughed and thanked Natsume in sympathy, but once his eyes fell back upon Mikan's grouchy face, he quickly pressed down on the acceleration, and swiftly drove back onto the main road. Mikan rolled her eyes at the retreating taxi, but then her eyes glanced around her surroundings. "Where are we?"

Natsume then gently held onto her hands, and murmured, "Just follow me."

Mikan simply did not care anymore and simply, without any moaning or whining, let Natsume take the lead. But then she briskly said, "It is so horrible on how everybody only cares about what people _look _like. I mean, that taxi driver! He was absolutely horrible, he didn't look too good himself, but when he saw me, he looked mortified! I bet it didn't occur in that brain of his that, _hmmm_, maybe, just _maybe _this girl could actually be a very nice girl, did it? Noooooo, he never thought like that! He just judged me by my looks! 'Never judge a book by its cover!' There is a reason _why _that phrase exists, you know—"

"That's the way life is—most of us are shallow."

Mikan sarcastically laughed, "Oh yeah! I'm sorry, I forgot how shallow _you _were!" She threw him a look of disgust at his lack of response and spat, "You're the worst of your kind! You only date girls who look good, but shouldn't you have realised by now that these girls _may _look good, but what about their other qualities? Are they actually kind, clever, gentle girls that a boy should and _does_ deserve?"

"So, you think I deserve a kind, clever, gentle girl, eh? Even if I'm the worst of my _kind?_" Natsume replied rather darkly, as he threw a glance back at her.

"Hyuuga, you _know _what I'm trying to say. It's not my fault that I'm no good with words, but still, I think even with my jumble of a sentence, you'll still be able to understand the message I am trying to convey." She warily sighed and just let him pull her along the road, and watched the back of his head; his raven hair being caressed by the wind.

"I only go for the fine girls because I _can _get them."

"What do you mean?" Mikan asked, with her eyes suspiciously narrowed.

"I'm just using my gift of being good looking, I'm not wasting it . . . let's say I looked like Jinno. I would never be able to date a girl like you—"

"A girl like _me__?_" Mikan incredulously interrupted before she laughed out loud, and seriously said, "How do you know that? What if, what _if_ the type of men that I liked were the type who had greasy hair, glasses, an elongated nose, and a frog for a pet? You can't change that! And do you know how _cocky_ you are? _I'm just using my gift of being good looking?_" she repeated in disgust. "Come on Hyuuga, it's not like you're some God."

"I get told that often," Natsume started but before he could say anymore, Mikan had started her one of her rants again.

"You are such a bloody . . . _Lothario__!_ Yes! That's who you are! You're like Lothario from the play, _The Fair Penitent_! You don't care about anybody but yourself! I know just what you are, you're a wolf, womanizer, lady-killer—"

"I get told that often too." Natsume coolly said, as he pushed his hair back with his free hand. He then lightly tightened his grip on Mikan's hand, and quickened his pace.

Mikan sighed, "Anything that I just said now, did it have _any _affect on you?"

"Other than a damaged ear, no."

Bastard.

Mikan wanted to punch him, but then a mellow smile lit her face as she smelt the warm, comforting fragrance of food. "Mmmm . . ." she hummed as she looked around to see where the smell was coming from, "That smells good." And the more they walked, the closer the delicious smell of noodles, chicken, duck and sticky sauce hovered around them. Mikan never wanted Chinese food more than she did now.

"Hey Hyuuga," Mikan started in a sugary voice, "are we going to go have Chinese by any chance?"

He shot her a glare, but then he shrugged, "If you want."

Mikan smiled triumphantly, showing her pearly white teeth. The smile was not the practised smile that resembled a horse, but it was her original sunny smile. "You're paying, right? As long as you are paying, I say let's go have Chinese and eat as much as we can!"

**0**

"Chinese food is officially my favorite food in the whole entire world!" Mikan announced as she dipped her prawn dim sum into some of the soya sauce. She popped it in her mouth, and she moaned at the taste. "_That_, was a legend dim sum!" she exclaimed after she had swallowed it.

Natsume looked disgusted and then slowly said, "Is it part of you and your friends' plan to put me off you by eating like a complete pig?"

Mikan put her chopsticks to her mouth before answering, "No . . . but is it putting you off? Because if it is, I'll start talking with my mouth full—"

"How much do you _eat__?_" Natsume interrupted as his eyes fell upon her side of the table, his eyes filled with half amusement, half disgust. Egg fried rice, sweet and sour pork, lots and lots of dim sum, stir fry noodles, won ton soup, duck pancakes—was it even possible for such a petite girl to consume that much? His eyes flickered back to his side of table, which simply consisted of beef with broccoli, a bowl of steamed rice, and a bowl of Tom Yum soup.

"Well," Mikan said as she wiped her mouth with her napkin, "I like to eat. And because you are paying for all this, I am happy to say that it doesn't bother me at all on how much I eat tonight!"

Natsume smirked, "You make me sound bad, but you're just as bad as yourself. You're a gold-digger."

"Gold-digger?" Mikan repeated with a sheer look of horror on her face, "Me? A gold-digger?" She laughed out loud and said, "Honey, if anything, I may be a complete _pig_, but I know that I am not a gold-digger."

Natsume gave a throaty laugh and then remarked, "Polka, you're unforeseen."

Mikan raised her eyebrow, "But you said I was easy to read before."

"You _are_ . . . but some bits of you are completely unpredictable."

Mikan gave a confused smile in return, and then she got a steaming pork-bun from her collection of dim sum, "So," Mikan said, as she started to peel off the paper from the bottom of the bun, "What is your story? Are you actually a cold heartless bastard that only cares about his reputation, or are you actually deeper than that?"

"A cold heartless bastard would be correct." Natsume stiffly said, with no trace of cockiness.

"Do you think you will ever change?"

Natsume didn't answer for a while, but then he replied, "I suppose I hope I will."

Mikan gave a warm laugh and said, "See? You are a bit deeper than just a cold heartless bastard! If you _were_ a cold heartless bastard, you would have answered, 'Why should I?' or maybe a blunt, 'no'. But good news! You didn't!"

Natsume just stared at Mikan blankly, before shaking his head and sighing, "You _are_ crazy."

Mikan's lips thinned, "We've already had that discussion."

Natsume took a small bite from his steamed rice, and then he put his chopsticks down and said, "Why did you come to Tokyo? Did you want to see the greatest city in Japan, or had you had enough of you gay-looking boyfriend back—" "

"How do you know if he looks gay?" Mikan said, as she wracked her brains. She was sure she had never explained to Hyuuga on what her imaginary boyfriend from Nagoya had looked like. And then her face became cold and she briskly said, "And I wasn't happy with your lyrics on how you said, '_you had a boyfriend, who looked like a girlfriend that I had in February last year_' . . . how do you know what he looks like?"

"I didn't fail to see a picture of you and a boy when I went around to your room to make you kiss that slimeball."

"You mean that day you made me kiss the slug?" Mikan replied, her expression rather hard, "Yes, the memories of that day is as vivid as ever. Didn't you see me in my undergarments and blackmail me? Oh what a joyful day that was . . ." But then Mikan thought for a bit . . . picture of her and a boy . . . and then she gasped. The only picture of her with a boy was the picture of her and her older brother, Ryo!

. . . Natsume thought that Ryo was her boyfriend from Nagoya.

And then she laughed out loud, clutching her stomach tightly.

"You—think—Ryo—looks—gay!" Mikan gasped, through her laughter.

"Ryo? That's his name?" Natsume said with his eyebrows raised.

If Mikan's older brother got told her looked gay, he would probably beaten the victim up into a pulp. Ryo had a bit of a phobia of gay man, because, for some apparent reason, he always had attracted them.

After Mikan had finished her laughter, she wheezily replied, "Yes, Ryo." she smiled to herself. It would be easier making Ryo seem like her boyfriend than making somebody completely new, wouldn't it? "Ryo isn't gay, but I'll tell you, he does get stalked by gay men! He's lovely really, teases me a lot, but generally, sweet and—"

"I don't want to know." Natsume snarled.

"Oooh, jealous much?" Mikan giggled.

Natsume just scowled in reply, and resumed on finishing his meal.

Mikan smiled and then explained, "I came to Tokyo to follow my dreams. Once I found out I got into the Alice Academy, both me _and_ my best friend, I was practically over the moon! You see, ever since the age of five, to become a singer was my dream. I used to dance around in my knickers, with a hairbrush in my hand, pretending it was a microphone, and dance like crazy! And the First Round was actually my first time performing in front of unknown people. I liked it a lot, it was like a taste of being a real singer!" She sighed dreamily and then continued, "That's the only reason I came to Tokyo. And personally, I don't think Tokyo is the greatest city in Japan."

Natsume just raised his eyebrows, and she knew by that he meant for her to explain why she thought that.

"I think Tokyo is a dead city."

Natsume's eyebrows raised higher and Mikan sighed and explained, "Tokyo. It's hardly got any green trees, it's always busy with cars, and there's hardly any nature! Hyuuga, if you ever go to Nagoya, or the county side, then you will understand what I'm saying. You haven't really lived until you've actually seen the real life. Computers and technology isn't the real life. Simply, in my opinion, Tokyo is a dead city."

Natsume didn't answer for a while, and lazily played with his chopsticks, as he kept his gaze on Mikan. Then he bluntly said, "You sound so old."

Mikan's mouth opened, and she looked at Natsume with a hurt look, "Excuse me?"

He then grinned and said, "The way you speak, it reminds me of my deceased Grandma."

Mikan darkly glowered at Natsume and mumbled, "That better be a compliment—"

"It's not," he answered, as his smirk got cockier, "frankly, it's an insult."

Mikan groaned and then sulkily stuffed her mouth with the egg fried rice and sweet and sour pork. She decided to ignore him for a few minutes, and just concentrated on finishing her food, but the more she kept quiet, the more frustrated she got, because Hyuuga was kept on throwing a grin in her direction, a smirk which also embedded the word, "Victory."

_Mikan – 0  
Hyuuga - 1_

She moodily thought on how she wished that she could disapparate like Harry Potter, along with all her Chinese food, back into her room. That way, not only would she be away from Hyuuga, but she would also be working on her piece for the Second Round—

She then gasped.

Of course! Going on a date with a member of the well-known band _Crimson Abyss_ might be quite helpful! Hyuuga was not only musically talented, but he also knew much, much, _much_ more about the world of music!

Mikan then cleared her throat, and then gave Natsume a sugary smile before sweetly asking, "What are you doing for the next round?"

Natsume kept a blank look for a second or two, but then his grin resurfaced and he replied, "Why?"

"Well, I know that you're big in the music world, and before we know it, it's going to be Christmas! And I thought maybe, just _maybe _I could ask for a tip or two from you—"

It was as if he read her mind, and smoothly answered, "For the Second Round, my band and my manager have decided we are not going to bother with coming up with a new song. The lyrics are meaningless this time, it's something that Ruka and I came up with last year." Mikan looked at Natsume with a confused look on her face, but then he continued, "Sakura, look at me. Look at me and my band mates. We are pretty much the most wanted guys in the Academy. Seduction is the genre for the next round . . . Do you think we have to _bother _with lyrics when we look like this?"

Mikan snorted, her nose crinkled in disgust, "Your arrogance is overwhelming—"

"Charmed." Natsume easily answered. "Well," Natsume continued in a completely different tone of voice, "If you ever get stuck on lyrics for seduction, just think of me, eh?"

Mikan rolled her eyes, and stiffly replied, "I could argue . . . if I was going to write lyrics on _insanity _I would think of you."

Natsume gave a brief throaty laugh before saying, "Polka, there's a thin line between hate and love."

Mikan dismissed his remark and instead took a long slurp on her Won Ton soup, before she mumbled darkly under her breath. She crammed a whole duck pancake in her mouth, and after a whole lump of noodle. Natsume just watched her with disgust and amusement, as she consumed her food as if she was an old tramp who hadn't seen food for days, months, maybe even years!

The two kept silent for a few minutes, as Mikan was now completely focused on her food, but then after all the plates in front of her were squeaky clean did she sigh dreamily and announce, "Done!"

"Thank God." Natsume bluntly answered, his lip curling. He had finished his simple, easy dinner quite a few minutes ago, and being the impatient guy he is, he was getting pissed off with the fact that his date had ignorantly eaten like a pig, while he slumped down on his seat, gazing at her intently waiting for her to finish her grand dinner.

. . . "Dessert?" Mikan excitedly asked, her eyes gleaming with hope.

Natsume looked up at her with his eyes narrowed. Was this another bloody joke? _Dessert _after _all that_?

**0**

"Now _that _is what I call a good meal." Mikan said with a mellow smile on her face, as she patted her satisfied stomach. "And to think some of your previous dates only had a _salad _for dinner. What idiots they were."

Natsume just kept his gaze on Mikan as he took a small sip of his espresso. Sure, his date did look like a geek he had just blindly picked up from the local library, but anybody with sharp eyes could tell that beneath all that . . . _stuff _was actually a pretty girl. And if they heard her laugh, they would probably have realized that her soul was innocent too. "Enjoy your caramelised banana and ice-cream?" Natsume asked, with a trace of mockery embedded in his voice, barely moving his blood-red lips.

"It was the best!" Mikan replied, with a warm smile on her face, "Shall I get the bill?"

Not waiting for a reply, Mikan whipped her head behind her, and called for a waiter who was standing near-by. She politely asked for the bill, and after the waiter nodded at her request, and told her that he'd be back promptly. Mikan turned back to Natsume with the same warm smile on her face. "Many thanks for the dinner, Hyuuga."

"So it's Hyuuga?"

"Excuse me?"

"I'm Hyuuga to you. Nothing else?"

Mikan shrugged, "You could also be skirt-chaser, if you want." She grinned rather smugly after her statement.

Natsume's eyes narrowed, and just when his lips curled into a scowl, the waiter came and placed the bill right in the middle of their table. The waiter's arm stopped the glaring battle going on between the two, and as soon as the poor bloke felt their aura's, he tottered off, leaving his two customers to glare in peace.

"Anyway, as I said, many thanks for the din—_Ooooh__!_" Mikan suddenly squealed, "Fortune cookies!"

Natsume raised his eyebrows, "You want _more_ to eat?"

"No, silly!" Mikan said as she picked up one of the fortune cookies. She then gazed at it intently, and then thought in her head, _Tell me the answer on what to do for the second round, oh great fortune cookie!_

She cracked her fortune cookie open, and hastily unraveled the fortune that laid in the crisp cookie made from flour, sugar, vanilla and oil . . .

**The answer is simply right in front of you.**

Mikan looked up to see right in front of her.

Right in front of her was Hyuuga.

And a pot of jasmine tea.

Odd.

Mikan crinkled her nose and raised her eyebrows, and soon enough, her usual pout came upon her face. "What did you get in your cookie?"

Natsume didn't reply Mikan for a while, and just kept his gaze on the fortune he had got. But then, without warning, he scrunched it up with his fingers, and clenched the fortune tightly in his hand till his knuckles went white.

"Woah, calm down, I'm sure your fortune wasn't that bad—"

"Shut up." Natsume snapped back, his eyes dark, and brimmed with disgust.

Mikan raised her eyebrows in amusement and nagged, "Come on, you can show me you fortune! . . . Hyuuga, it's just a dumb old fortune cookie!"

Natsume snapped, "How would you like it, if your bloody cookie said, '_It's alright, come out the closet and make people accept who you really are._' I hate fortune cookies." He growled, as the fortune started to disintegrate between his fingers.

Mikan blinked. "The cookie is insinuating you're _gay?_" she gasped before Mikan burst out laughing. Once she saw the murderous look on his face, she defensively put her hands up and remarked, "You freak, you don't have to take things so seriously—"

"It told me I was gay."

"Natsume—It's a _cookie_."

Natsume darkly scowled for a moment, and roughly demanded, "What you get?"

"_The answer is simply right in front of you_." Mikan quoted. But then she felt a bubble of laughter come up and she giggled, "Natsume got own'd by a cookie." Mikan laughed out loud, as he reaction immediately was to glare at her, "I'm sorry!" she laughed. And then she asked, a smile still playing on her lips, "You homophobic?"

"No," Natsume cruelly replied, "it's just _I _don't like being called gay."

Mikan snorted, "I can tell."

Mikan smiled in his direction, she could vaguely see a bit of Ryo in Natsume . . . except for the fact that Natsume was so much more arrogant. And frustrating. And from all the stories, much more heartless.

She then turned her eyes back on her fortune and she bit her lip. Fortune cookies obviously meant nothing to her, but for some odd reason, this fortune seemed to catch her attention. She then looked back up at Natsume, and back down at her fortune.

_. . . Eureka! By George, I think I've got it!_

Mikan smiled as if she had just discovered she was the lost-Princess of Egypt. _This,_ she thought, _is it. This is the answer to my prayers! Oh thank you, oh great master of the fortune cookies! God bless the creator of this fortune cookie! _

She grinned at her own thoughts.

_And to think, that I said earlier that if I were going insane I would write about Hyuuga . . . but this time, it'll be about what I really think about him . . ._

**8**

Mikan groaned again as she took another step and she moaned, "I think I just put on around five kilo's. I can hardly move, I feel pregnant. I especially can't move in all this . . . disguise!"

"You should have just stuck to a sal—"

"I _don't _regret eating all of that." Mikan firmly confirmed, and shuddered at the thought of salad. And then she felt her heart sink . . . maybe Aoi would make it thirty crunches a day if she continues to eat so much at one go!

"Are we close to the Academy yet?"

Natsume grinned, and flicking his finger at his glasses, he said, "Are you actually blind? The Academy is just there."

"Where?"

"About twenty steps in front of us, North."

". . . Oh . . . It took so long to get here!" Mikan exclaimed, a laugh escaping her mouth at her stupidity and blindness.

Natsume shrugged, "You're the one who wanted to walk. You refused to take a taxi back, so what other choice did we have?"

"A plane? Helicopter?" Mikan sarcastically replied, as she groaned again, "Bloody heavy belly . . ."

Natsume gave a throaty laugh, and coolly said, "Come on, let's get in. The air is really getting to me now." And with a swift movement of the hand, he gently clutched onto the sleeve of the yellow jumper, and pulled her quickly to the big door of the Academy.

Once they were inside the building, Natsume offered to take Mikan back to her room, but she declined, before asking, "How did you know where our room was anyway?"

"I have my ways."

"Stalker." Mikan remarked, as she gave a little yawn. "Well Hyuuga, this has been most . . . interesting. Thanks for the food; it was delicious!" Mikan turned her back towards him, but then she looked back at him, with a grin on her face, "I am hoping by tomorrow you will have forgotten my name, and treat me like cow dung. Good night!" She was about walk awat, but then his warm hand held her back Mikan twirled her head back, with a confused look, and she was horrified to see him looking down at her . . . with a rather bitter look on his face?

"You don't really think I would just let you go and forget about you now, did you?" His tone was indescribable, but if she didn't know any better, she would have said his voice sounded rather hurt.

Mikan's mouth went dry, and she was about to reply, but then he added, "You don't know me, Sakura. If you think I've taken every girl in this goddamn Academy out for Chinese, you don't know me at all. You're _different_; I don't think any girls I have ever encountered would have ever dreamed of coming to a date with me dressed like a lunatic—"

"I'm a neek, geek or a loser! _Not_ a lunatic—" Mikan cut in but Natsume nevertheless continued, "but Sakura, there was something you failed to hide today."

She swallowed, "And what was that?"

"Your smile."

Mikan felt her heart clench. Godammit, Aoi was right! Why oh why did she laugh or smile? Then, her eyes travelled down to her hand, and saw his hand around her hand—she felt her face warm up immediately—_Holy shit!_—Permy was right, his hands _were _huge!

Mikan had to get away from this big-handed guy.

Mikan tugged her hand away from Natsume as quickly as humanly possible, and took a step backwards, "Poetic as you are, Hyuuga, I really am tired, so I'm going to get going—"

And before anything else could happen, Natsume grabbed her waist, and pulled her back towards him, aiming for a smack on the lip.

Smack as in a kiss.

Don't worry, he's not going to do a Chris Brown to Mikan.

Mikan's eyes widened immediately as she realised on what was going happen next if he moved any closer to her. She saw his marble white face draw nearer to her, and could see exactly how many long dark eyelashes Natsume had, and she could feel his warm breath on her skin.

It was as if she built-in reaction, and when Natsume and Mikan's lips were literally millimetres apart from each other, did she quickly turn her head to the side, which ended in him planting a kiss on her cheek.

So, if things went to fast for you up there, all that happened was Natsume kissed her cheek.

She felt the place where Natsume kissed on her cheek heat up and go peachy.

But then the flushed feeling turned into a burn of anger which ran through her body; she turned back to him and said through her clenched teeth, "You disgust me. You think you can just kiss me because we went on a date? I'll share a kiss to somebody I like, _love_, thank you very much." Mikan whipped her head back, and turned on the heel of her feet, her Crocs squeaking away with her, to the elevators, leaving Natsume with a bitter look on his face.

Natsume sucked the insides of his cheeks, and pushed his hair back.

Was he not the most sought guy in school? Was he not the most wanted guy in the Academy? What was he doing wrong? Natsume darkly scowled, and the sat down on a red armchair that stood in front of the reception. He cupped his own face with his hands, took a deep breath.

What _did_ Mikan Sakura want? And how the hell was he supposed to give it to her?

Bright flickering orange images suddenly flashed through his mind, and he immediately snapped open his eyes, dismissing the images. He felt his breath hitch up, and a chill run up and down, down his spine.

Not again.

**0**

"I'm back!" Mikan loudly announced as she walked into her dorm room.

And as expected, even before she had managed to close the front door behind her, she was surrounded by her friends, who were all talking quickly and loudly at the same time. Mikan didn't answer them for a moment; she just threw her ball of wool down by the Crocs, which she had now slipped off.

"How was it then?" Hotaru demanded.

"That complete—" Mikan walked past all of her friends to go into the living room, "arsehole!" She fell down onto the couch and growled. She pulled her fake glasses off, now letting the world see her beautiful sparkling eyes, and continued, " I know a man can be manorexic but can they be a whore?"

Permy's eyes widened,"Oh my God, what did he do? How was it?" Permy frantically asked, "Where did he take you? What did he _do_?"

"Total—pisshole!" Mikan muttered darkly, as she yanked her woolly socks off her feet. "And good God! All this woolly jumpers and such were so itchy!" Mikan pulled her hair down from the messy bun, and shook her head around, and she sighed in relief.

"Mikan, what did my brother do?" Aoi asked as she looked at her carefully, "Judging from your attitude and expression you didn't enjoy it—"

"Enjoy it?" Mikan repeated with a bit of laugh, "It was fine!"

Permy, Anna, Nonoko and Aoi's jaws dropped. Mikan had said that with any sarcasm at all. Hotaru coolly looked at her best friend, and stiffly asked, "Seriously?"

"Yeah! We went to Chinese, _great_ Chinese!"

Permy's nose flared, "I thought—"

"Permy, you didn't hear the end of my story." Mikan said, now with a serious look on her face, "The date was fine. I'll give him that, and _that_ only. The only thing I didn't like about the date was Hyuuga, himself. He's arrogant, and so goddamn frustrating! I don't get how people think he is charming. All he did was criticize me non-stop, because I apparently spoke like his Grandma, or because I didn't stop eating, or because I thought he was crazy, the list just goes on and on . . ."

"Tell us more!" Anna eagerly chanted, as she bobbed her head up and down.

"_Every _detail." Permy fiercely added, and sat besides Mikan with a focused look dawned upon her face.

**. . .**

In less than thirty minutes, her friends had managed to squeeze every single blooming detail out of Mikan. ". . . and so, I left the idiot in the reception after he tried to kiss me. And that's the end."

"Totally the end?" Nonoko asked. "He didn't call back or anything?"

"_Totally _the end." Mikan firmly confirmed as she nodded. Her eyes fell upon Hotaru, who was typing insanely fast on her MacBook. Hotaru, her weird best friend, had been taking notes on the date. There was a pause of silence, but then Hotaru swiftly closed her laptop and looked at Mikan as if she were inspecting her.

"Looks like you were talking about pretty _deep _stuff," Permy bitterly said, "You never told _me _that you thought Tokyo was a dead city."

Anna tittered with laughter, "You don't care what Mikan thinks about Tokyo!"

"_Nor_," Permy scathingly carried on, "did you tell _me _that your older brother is called Ryo. _Or _that you liked Chinese food. _Or—_"

"Permy, what the hell?" Mikan demanded with an angry look on her face. "Why are you suddenly so angry at me? What did I do wrong? You weren't the one who was repeatedly called stupid, crazy or—"

"I bet you liked the attention from Natsume." Permy harshly interrupted, "In fact, what you just told us now was probably all lies. I bet you actually went to a hotel, and screwed your little boy toy. No wonder you came prancing back from your date, telling us that you _enjoyed _it." Mikan gaped in shock. She could not believe that Permy, her _friend_, had just said those words. Mikan had nothing to say, she was frankly taken aback by Permy's words.

Suddenly then, Aoi nudged Permy in the ribs, with a disappointed look plastered to her face. It took a while, but a few seconds later, Permy let out a bottled breath.

"Mikan," she started, her tone of voice completely different. Her voice was more gentle now, and she continued, "I'm sorry for acting like a jealous bitch . . . I don't know what came over me. I guess it was just the fact, that you came back from a date with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, my ex-boyfriend slash arch enemy, and a bit of jealously rose that you had told _him_ things that you have never mentioned to me before. But Anna is right; I don't give two tapdancing fuck about your thoughts on Tokyo, or if you like Chinese food, or your brother . . . unless he's good looking."

"He is." Hotaru replied with no hesitation, and with a straight face.

"Well that's a different matter then." Permy said with a smile on her face. But then she sighed and explained, "You don't understand how _scared_ I am for you. I am scared that he'll do what he did to me—"

"We've already spoken about this!" Mikan laughed, "And every time we do, don't I make it clear that I am _not _interested in him?"

"But _he _is interested in _you_! You don't understand what Natsume is capable of!"

"I may have never experienced it Permy, but listening to _your _experience, I get a taste of what he really is like." Mikan answered, her lips thin, and she continued, "Hyuuga is a womanizer, Permy, I _know_ that. I can tell by the way he spoke to me."

"Sorry." Permy repeated, as she took Mikan's hand gingerly. Mikan smiled back, and she squeezed Permy's hand gently, assuring her it was okay.

"I guess it's true then." Nonoko said, as she stretched her arms out, "If Hyuuga could see past all your attire thanks to your smile, a smile is honestly all that matters."

Hotaru snorted, "Well I'm screwed then."

All girls laughed at that, and then Mikan replied, "Honey, take it from me, you do look your prettiest when you smile, so try smile more, eh?" And then Mikan gasped, "I forgot to tell you the most important thing!"

"What?" Aoi, Anna, Nonoko and Permy piped up at exactly the same time. Hotaru didn't say anything, but her reaction was that she wrenched open her MacBook, obviously so she could resume her note taking. Mikan gave a silvery laugh at their reaction, and exclaimed, "No, no, nothing about the date."

She saw Hotaru scowl and put her MacBook away.

"It's actually about my piece for the Second Round!"

"Yeah?" Permy said with her eyebrows raised, "Well none of us really got that far tonight with the writing, did we girls?" Both Anna and Nonoko nodded in agreement, whilst Aoi just muttered something about her being done with her sketch, but there was no reaction from Hotaru. Instead, Hotaru asked, "You thought about it on your date?"

"Yeah! And I've come up with something! Something that actually might work!" Mikan excitedly answered. "Remember I said we got fortune cookies?"

"Yeah," Aoi answered, while giggling, "and Natsume got offended because it said for him to, 'come out the closet', right?"

Mikan laughed out loud in memory, and nodded, "Well, just before I cracked my cookie open, I prayed in my head that my fortune would tell me the answer on what to do for the Second Round."

Nonoko gasped, "But your fortune said—"

"_The answer is simply right in front of you_," Mikan quoted, "and sitting in front of me was—"

"Natsume?" Aoi asked incredulously, with a sheer look of horror on her face. Permy's face sunk beneath a network of angry lines, also known as wrinkles which one gets when they frown. Anna and Nonoko disbelievingly looked at their friend, while Hotaru calmly waited for an explanation. Aoi added, "Your idea for the Second Round is to write a song about my brother? . . . Mikan, you're going to write _another _song about Natsume? I thought you hated writing about my brother—"

"I did. I _did_ hate writing about him because what I was writing about him was all a complete lie." Mikan clearly corrected, "I was _dared_ to write a song about him, and part of the dare was for me to act like I was completely head over heels for Hyuuga. Frankly, I didn't think he was, '_Wow!_' at all! I thought he was, '_Eurgh!_". But Hotaru's dare was inevitable." She shot a glance to her best friend, who had a blank innocent expression plastered to her face.

"So why are you writing about him again?"

"This time I'm not going to write a lie. I am going to write what I _really _think about that son-of-a-bi—wait I can't say that! Sorry, Aoi, I take that back completely, I'm sure you're mother isn't a bitch!" She smacked her head before she exclaimed, "God, it's so hard to believe that you two are actually related though!"

The girls tittered with laughter, and Aoi giggled, "Nah, my mother could be wicked sometimes . . ." and suddenly her gigglish face disappeared as she added, in a rather sullen tone, "my father was worse though . . ." But then she turned her attention back on Mikan, her smile back on her face, and confirmed, "So you're writing a song on how much of a lady-killer my brother is?"

Mikan nodded and smiled, "Exactly!"

"Well," Hotaru said with a gentle smile on her face, "I say it's a good idea, besides, you'll be able to pass the Second Round any day when you're going to be wearing _that _costume on stage . . . anybody want something to eat?" Hotaru stood up from the couch to go to the kitchen, and everybody called back after her, asking her to bring either a packet of crisps or a bag of marshmallows back.

"Flying Saucers!" Mikan frantically shouted after Hotaru, "Bring me the last packet of flying saucers—" And then she paused. Something that Hotaru had said made her pause.

And then she gasped.

"Hotaru! What do you mean about _that_ costume? What costume?"

Permy suddenly cackled with laughter, whilst Anna and Nonoko roared into a giggling fit. Mikan turned to look at Aoi, and her eyes narrowed when she saw Aoi with a innocent grin on her face. "Mikan, I've finished sketching your costume for the next round . . ."

Mikan cheered, paused and then she gulped.

Something told her that something was not right.

Especially the way her friends were cackling at her, while Aoi just looked at her, an evil glint dancing in her eyes.

"Can I see it?" Mikan nervously asked.

Aoi gave a quick nod, and then rolled her body over to the edge of the couch. She stretched her hand out to her notebook, which innocently sat on the side-table. She swiftly brought it to her lap, opened a page, and handed the notebook itself to Mikan.

Mikan stared at the page for a moment.

And then she felt her eyes bulge.

"You said last night that as long it covers your boobs, you're fine—

"_Aoi Hyuuga__!_" Mikan cried as she looked at the sketch with shock and disbelief, "I can't wear something like this on stage! I'm Christian! . . . Wait, no I'm not! But still—! I can't pull something like this off—" Her friends were roaring with laughter, amused by her reaction, and even Hotaru, who had come back with the junk, sniggered.

Tiny little shorts; a _tube _top, and a big fluffy bolero jacket.

Aoi's eyes just twinkled as Mikan whined, "This is as bad as Koizumi!"

"Trust me, it's not where near as bad as Luna." Permy firmly said, but then it proceeded with another round of laughter.

"It looks like undergarments, with a frigging leather slash furry cardigan on it! And where is my hair on the picture?"

"Your hair is going to be tightly pulled back into a pony tail." Aoi simply explained but then she laughed herself, "Mikan, you'll be able to pull this off any day! All you have to do it tone your stomach, and you're ready to shine!"

Mikan stared at her with her mouth wide open.

"Aoi Hyuuga, you are a little . . . pervert!" She exclaimed desperately, which resulted in her friends laughing at her.

She looked back the sketch. The Second Round was on Christmas. Mikan thought that she still had time to convince Aoi to change her costume, didn't she? She simply couldn't go on stage like that! People would think she was a slag! People will be horrified by her! People would mark her down for vulgar clothing—

"Hyuuga will probably rape you when he sees you wearing that!" Anna teased, and Nonoko burst out laughing, while nodding in agreement.

_And _Hyuuga will rape her.

Hotaru snickered, "The next month is going to be hell, I can feel it. Well, I wish you luck Mikan . . . and I didn't back the flying saucers for you . . . I think you should watch your weight as your abs are going to be displayed in the Second Round . . ."

_And _she was now going to have to go on a diet.

_. . . Oh and I nearly forgot. I also have to do crunches. God, if you do exist, I'm wishing to sue you. Thank you, good night. _

_Mikan Sakura._

**0**

**End of Chapter**

**0**

**A/N: **All who are interested in what Aoi has in mind for darling Mikan, simply just type in Google Images, _My Prerogative_.


	11. The Night Before Christmas Eve

**Disclaimer: **I swear people don't even bother to look at this anymore! Anyway, I don't own Alice Gakuen—and I don't think I _ever _will. Clear as crystal? Perfect.

**0**

**My Happy Ending  
**_**by Little Miss Giggle**_

**0**

**Chapter Ten: The Night Before Christmas Eve**

**0**

_I don't need no superman, with special powers and a fake tan,  
to try and save the day for me.  
Why can't he just let me be?_

**0**

The air of Christmas was definitely present in the grounds of the Alice Academy. Snow doesn't usually fall on the city of Tokyo, but the Alice Academy was sprinkled and covered in fake snow, thanks to none other than Narumi of course. The cold air nipped at people's faces and the warm smell of eggnog and hot chocolate filled the air of the Academy. Mini Christmas trees were dotted all around the school premises and tinsel and Christmas lights were thrown all over the place.

Mikan was cuddled up in a bundle of blankets on the couch doing nothing but staring dead ahead of her. Tomorrow was Christmas Eve—the day of the Second Round had finally come.

And to be honest, Mikan didn't want to do anything but escape at the moment. Thoughts were running wildly in her head; she had a horrible sinking feeling in her stomach, which she felt, was consuming her slowly.

That wasn't the only thing that was wrong with her stomach; her stomach also felt like a black hole. More than a month ago, on a daily basis, she used to eat whatever she wanted whenever she wanted it. But ever since November came into view, Mikan was forced to exercise and eat healthily. To be honest, being healthy is supposed to make you feel great, but it just made Mikan more depressed. November had been tough for the girls; coming up with their pieces was hard enough, but practicing it was also a complete pain in the arse.

Mikan was exhausted.

A soft sigh escaped from her lips, and then she felt a warm small hand clamp her shoulder. She blinked twice before she looked up to see the peachy face of Aoi Hyuuga.

"Oh, hey Aoi."

Aoi gently smiled, "Tired?"

Mikan nodded and rubbed her eyes, "You have no idea . . . Do you know where the others are?"

"Yeah—they are all practicing for tomorrow. I saw Hotaru some minutes ago; she gave me the keys to come check up on you. How are you doing, Mikan?"

Mikan let out a bottled up breath, "Let's see—I've had disgustingly healthy food for over a month now; I am _sick _of salad and chicken and granola bars. I want mince pies and eggnog! And I've been practicing my song for the whole of November and December—my voice feels dead. Not to mention the exercises to make my legs and abs more toned are _killing _me." She took in a deep breath before she added in a calmer tone, "You don't understand how _glad _I'm going to be tomorrow when the whole thing is over."

Aoi smiled, "After it's over, we'll have a huge sleepover and eat junk the whole night, okay? And then the next morning will be Christmas! We'll have a _huge _Christmas breakfast, lunch _and _dinner! And no crunches or squats after tomorrow night!"

Mikan smiled at thought but then she asked, "Is this what life would feel like if you are famous? Exhausted?"

Aoi cocked her head to the side, and said, "Maybe. Why?"

Mikan snorted, "I hate it. Well, you can see why celebrities such as Britney Spears lose it. I used to think being a singer would be incredible; and I'm sure it would be, not to mention you'd be dirty rich, but imagine all the _pressure_; look fat and you'll be all over the magazine cover with the headline, _Mikan Sakura turns into a fat pig!_ Go wrong in a concert and what do you know, you're on the front cover of a magazine ago, although this time the headline would read, _Mikan Sakura, she's crap live! Don't buy her tickets for her concerts!_—Ahh, bloody hell, the thought of it makes me sick!"

Aoi giggled before she fell down on the couch next to Mikan. She turned to look at her and said, "I just finished your costume."

"Congrats!" Mikan's smile suddenly faltered and she bit her lip before she asked, "So, if the costume still with your original idea? . . . You know, the idea where my whole abs are on display along with my legs?"

Aoi nodded before she cried, "Of course! I would have never made you go through the exercise idea if it weren't for the costume! And your diet plan, well that was Permy's idea—you know she's all up for the You-Are-What-You-Eat idea."

True that Mikan's body did look incredible now; her stomach was flat and her legs were the perfect size. But just because she was skinner didn't make Mikan happy. "I can't wait for Christmas! I actually don't mind at all anymore that I'm not skiing with my parents and brother for Christmas—I'm going to be with my best friends, eh? Anna's going to make the food, right? Oooh, wait till you all see the presents I got you all!"

When Mikan got a call from her parents at the end of November, they had announced to her that they, along with her brother Ryo, were going to go skiing from the 23rd to the 30th. They called Mikan to inform her that they were planning to come pick her up on the 22nd so they could all catch the plane to go skiing the next day. But Mikan simply couldn't—the Second Round was on Christmas Eve and she had been starving herself, exercising, stressing over it so much she couldn't possibly throw it all away! So reluctantly she told her parents she couldn't and explained why. They completely understood, and came to the decision to invite Ryo's friend skiing instead of her, and to leave Mikan at the Academy for the Christmas holidays. At first, Mikan felt bitter towards the Second Round; she missed her family, but she had chosen a competition instead of them. Yet now, she didn't feel any bitterness towards it, nor did she regret her choice.

Aoi threw her head back and laughed but then she answered, "That's right, Anna's is our very own chef for Christmas! I saw the fridge last night—_somebody _is making a huge Christmas pudding!"

Mikan gasped, "You're joking! Oh my God, how big is it?"

"The size a horse's ass." Aoi joked, her voice imitating a hillbilly, which caused Mikan to laugh. Mikan then put her chin on her knees and resumed to stare blankly ahead of her, but she blew out a sigh and mumbled, "I can't even remember November. It was just so busy and hectic with all the practices and all . . . remind me, Aoi, what actually _happened _in November? The only side of November I can remember is the small portions of food and singing."

Aoi smiled, and put her hand to her mouth in attempt to recall everything that had happened last month. Memories swirled in her brain and she looked at Mikan and answered, "Actually now I think about it, November was a pretty dead month. Everybody _was _practicing. And if you weren't in the competition, people were just buried under homework." Suddenly Aoi's eyes widened and then a dark chuckle escaped her lips, "Speaking of dead month, November also happens to be the month of Natsume's birthday."

Mikan's eyes twitched. How long ago was it that she last saw the bastard? Or even talked about him? Or even _heard _about him? "Crap, I forgot about him."

Vivid images of their date filled her mind, and she couldn't help the smile that lit her face when she remembered what she had actually _worn _that night.

Aoi then said in a vague voice, "Hey, Mikan, when was the last time you heard from him?"

"I haven't heard from him since our little date." She scoffed before she looked at Aoi, her head tilted to the side, "Why?"

Aoi raised her eyebrows in surprise, "What? So he hasn't approached you since the end of October?"

"Nope!" Mikan smiled, "Not complaining either—I hope it stays that way!"

"That is so weird—" Aoi's voice was cut off by the swinging of the front door; the two girls raised their heads up to see Anna, Nonoko, Permy and Hotaru all clamber into their dorm.

"Hey girls!" Mikan happily called. "Aoi is here to join us for dinner!"

"Hope you don't mind!" Aoi added.

Anna was the first one to get out of her coat, and she called back from the front door, "Course not, sweetie! Why, you practically live here with us! I'm going to heat up dinner right away!" And with that, headed to the kitchen to get her magic of making food working.

Permy was wrenching her scarf of and she murderously stated through her gritted teeth, "I hate that bastard! I hate him, I hate him, I hate _hate _him!" She threw her bag down onto the floor, and stomped into the living room to join Mikan and Aoi on the couch. She angrily dived for the remote control and stabbed the buttons on it, making the television buzz and start.

"Woah, what happened, Perms?" Mikan asked, "Whose this _him _you keep cursing about?"

Nonoko and Hotaru came into the living room before Permy could answer and Hotaru said in her usual monotone manner, "She's PMSing and she's scared about tomorrow. Don't mind her."

"I am _not _PMSing! Nor am I scared! I've got my whole piece sorted out, it's flawless!"

Nonoko laughed and turned to look at us, "She's just had a rough time in the snow."

"Snow?" Mikan repeated with her nose scrunched up in bewilderment, "You mean the fake snow Narumi showered the school in?"

Permy growled, "Narumi! Why did he have to cover the whole fucking school in snow? We're not five; we don't care about snowball fights anymore! The nerve of that teacher is so annoying!"

Aoi, who was just as confused as Mikan, asked, "Okay, so what _actually _happened Permy?"

Permy punched the channel button on the remote control before she angrily replied, "I was walking back from Starbucks' to the Academy, and when I got into the Academy grounds that fucking moron, Kokoro Yomi threw a fucking snowball at my head! And because of it, I slipped on some bloody snow that Narumi laid down, and I fell flat on my face!" A shriek of disbelief escaped her lips before she furiously added, "And now my nose is aching like hell! I hate that bastard!"

Mikan threw her head back and laughed out loud, while Aoi tried her best to hide her giggles. But when Mikan's eyes fell upon the murderous looking Permy, who was rubbing her red nose, she inhaled a deep breath to stop her laughter, "Oh I'm sorry Permy, but that's just so funny!"

"It so was _not _funny! I'm just glad nobody was there to watch me fall flat on my face but that bastard!"

Mikan laughed again, but then she put her finger to her lips and said, "Kokoro Yomi . . . where have I heard that name before?"

"He's my brother's friend."

"Number Six on the fit list along with Kitsune-me." added Nonoko.

"In the band Crimson Abyss." Hotaru drawled.

"He's a complete joker!" Anna loudly commented from the kitchen.

"_And_, a complete arse!" Permy dramatically finished, punching a fist up in the air.

"Wait, which one is he? The one with the slanted eyes or the one with the cute goofy grin?"

"Cute? _Cute goofy grin_?" Permy shrieked, "That grin he possesses is _so not _cute! It's annoying, I want to rip it off his smug face!" She angrily huffed out a bottled up breath. Before anybody could comfort the raging girl, Anna's sugary voice called from the kitchen, "Dinner's ready!" Hotaru immediately stood up from the couch, and walked quickly into the kitchen, soon to be followed by Nonoko, Mikan, Aoi and the scowling Permy. But even Permy's stone hard face managed to melt away when the mellow smell of dinner encircled her. The kitchen was warm and cosy from the steam and the dim light gave it a snug feel.

The five girls sat down in their seats, anticipating on what was the menu for today's dinner, cooked of course, by their very own Anna. "Here you go sugar!" Anna said, as she placed a plate of spaghetti Bolognese in front of Aoi. "Extra parmesan—just the way ya like it!"

"Thanks Anna!"

"For you my honey, I've made sushi!" Anna announced, as she put a neat plate of sushi in front of Hotaru. "The wasabi is already in the soya sauce."

"Cheers, Anna." Hotaru replied, and before anything else could go on, she dipped the salmon roe sushi into the soya sauce and popped it in her mouth.

"Nonoko, you have the same as me—beef stew." A steaming hot bowl was placed in front of Nonoko, and Nonoko looked up and replied, "Thanks sister!"

Anna smiled back, and she went back to the countertops of the kitchen to pick up two more plates, "And for you two, Permy and Mikan, salad and chicken!" The two plates were now in front of Permy, who looked a considerable amount happier, and Mikan, who on the other hand, looked a considerable amount sulkier.

"Salad and chicken." Mikan said through her gritted teeth, as she stonily picked her fork up.

"Thanks Anna!" Permy replied, before she stabbed the chicken with her cutleries. She then snorted at the sour look on Mikan's face before she remarked, "Oh stop it with the long face, Mikan! You say the word salad and chicken as if it were a swear word."

Mikan poked the chicken with her knife, before she cut through it, all while sighing, "I haven't had anything but this meal for over a month now Perms. I'm _sick _of it!" she turned to Anna with a smile on her face, "Nothing to do with you of course, Anna honey. Your cooking is great!"

Anna, who had taken a sip of her stew, put her spoon back down, and replied, "None taken of course! I totally understand—must be hard for you, eh? Just think, tomorrow's the last day!"

"And as I said," Aoi added, "the day after tomorrow is Christmas!"

Nonoko smiled, "Anna's has got loads of surprise for us all for Christmas."

Hotaru's nose crinkled, and she blandly drawled, "Am I the only on who hates Christmas?"

Mikan's sullen face lifted up, and she laughed, "Back in Nagoya, everybody at school used to call her Ebenezer Scrooge." Hotaru shot Mikan a glare, but before she could threaten her best friend, Nonoko said, "Believe me, even Ebenezer Scrooge's views on Christmas will change if he had Christmas with us. Anna's cooking is to _die _for."

"Why do you hate Christmas, Hotaru?" Aoi asked after she slurped on her spag bol.

Hotaru shrugged before she answered, "I hate how everybody's so jolly and gay when outside, it's so cold. If I could sue, I would sue that Narumi—who in their right mind puts fake snow around the school? I hate snow."

Permy's hand flew up, "Hear hear! I hate snow! Hotaru's right, Narumi should be sued!"

Anna giggled, "Oh not this again, Perms—"

"That Kokoro Yomi bastard has some nerve to do that to me though." Permy savagely stuffed her mouth with both chicken and salad, "I mean, come on, I was one of his best friend's girlfriend. And this best friend of his ruined my life. How dare he throw a snowball at me?"

"Speaking of my brother," Aoi piped up, "am I the only one who finds it odd that he didn't do anything to Mikan in November?"

Mikan smiled, "Aoi, I was probably just like a Kleenex tissue to him—use once and throw away. But that's _good _news—"

"Now you mention it," Hotau interrupted, "you're correct. Hyuuga didn't do anything for the whole of November . . . I heard though in November some girls talking about what to get for his birthday—is his birthday in November?"

"November 27th." Aoi confirmed . . . strangely her eyes glossed up as she mentioned the date, but as quickly as it did, it was even quicker for it to disappear, leaving unseen by any of her friends.

"Well I would have expected him to be like, _Kiss me Mikan babe, it's my birthday_." Permy commented, as she imitated Natsume's low husky voice. Anna and Nonoko giggled, while Hotaru snickered, "Nice try Shouda."

"Anyone know what he's going to do for the Second Round?" Anna questioned.

Permy snorted, "Go naked on stage maybe?"

They all tittered with laughter, but then Mikan said, "Yeah, I know what Crimson Abyss are planning to do!"

"What? I thought you said—"

"No, no, on our 'date' at the end of October, I asked him what he was planning to do for the Second Round, just to get some advice and tips from him!" Mikan explained. The way her friends looked at her was urging her to continue, so she carried on, "Okay, let me think about it, I need to remember what he said first . . . Mmmm, I remember! Basically, Hyuuga told me that his band and his manager had decided that they _weren't _going to come up with some _legend_ song for this round. He said that the song they are singing is a song that he and his friend Ruka Nogi came up with last year. He said the lyrics are meaningless or something."

Aoi raised her eyebrow, "That's it? My brother didn't say anything arrogant?"

Mikan laughed, "Of course he did! After he told me all of that, he added something like, _Look at me_," her friends laughed as their heard Mikan's impression of Natsume; it was worse than Permy's! "_Me mates and I are the most wanted guys in the Academy! Do you think we need to bother, arrrgh?_"

Hotaru snorted, "I don't think Hyuuga is a pirate, Mikan."

"He's as savage as a pirate." Permy darkly commented. She swallowed her food before she said, "Correct me if I'm wrong, Aoi, but I swear Natsume was going out with Luna a year ago?"

Aoi pondered for a moment, before she answered, "Yeah you're right Permy. Why?"

"Well," Permy took a sip of her water, "I think that means that the song Crimson Abyss are going to sing tomorrow night might have been written for Luna Koizumi."

"Ooooh that's gross." Nonoko and Anna commented in sync, both their noses crinkled up.

"Mikan, _you_ wrote a song about Luna, remember? The first day of lessons, the first day I met you!" Aoi exclaimed. Mikan blinked but then she smacked her head, "Oh my God, how did I forget that?" she threw her head back and laughed, "Ahhh, I wish the rest of you were there to see her face! She was livid, baby!" And then Mikan started to wiggle in her seat while she chanted, "Where's your, where's your, where's your dignity? I think you lost it in the Hollywood hills—"

"Whaddya think it means when he said the lyrics are meaningless? And that Ruka Nogi helped him to write it? I'm more than sure that he's usually the only one who writes the songs for Crimson Abyss?" Anna double-checked.

"'S right." Permy answered, nodding. "He writes the songs, and then when he's satisfied with it, he shows his band mates."

"Maybe both Nogi and Hyuuga had experience with some whore, so they decided to write a song about whores together?" Nonoko suggested, while she shrugged. "Meaningless—well, as the word says, the lyrics are probably meaningless. Like Anna, you know how my ex-boyfriend used to be obsessed with Fall Out Boy? Well, whenever I went in his car and listened to their songs, their lyrics were always completely meaningless and incoherent."

"Ahh, but that's the beauty of their music!" Permy said. "I love their song title: _Champagne For My Real Friends, Real Pain For My Sham Friends!_" she clapped her hands, "Legend title!"

Hotaru sighed, "I'm going to have to go look for a pair of earplugs for tomorrow."

All of her friends looked at her incredulously, to be honest they were taken aback; how can the conversation go from Fall Out Boy's title or earplugs?

Mikan repeated, "Earplugs?" in a rather incredulous tone, with her eyebrows both raised high.

Hotaru nodded, and explained, "Just think. The crowd is going to be filled with hormonal teenagers. When a hot performance comes on stage, they are going to go _wild_. The noise will be unbearable. I can only imagine what the crowd is going to do when Crimson Abyss come on, _especially _when the theme is seduction."

Mikan twitched, and she quietly replied, "Good point . . . Crap, I don't want to go deaf—say you don't have any spare earplugs, do you?"

Anna pressed her lips together, "Jeez Louise, I'm pretty nervous for tomorrow. Are you, Nonoko?"

"You bet I am. I hope everything goes fine!" Nonoko desperately said.

Aoi smiled, and gently patted her back, "It'll be great! I've heard you _all _practice more than a billion times—you'll all get in; trust me! I know good music when I hear it!"

Mikan smiled in the direction of Aoi but she couldn't help the tingles, which ran up her back. Honestly, she was terrified of the performance tomorrow. What if she can't sing it, like completely blanks on the stage out there? What if she can't pull of the costume? What if she freezes her arse off out there—she's going to be half naked for crying out loud! What would people's reactions be—would they be disgusted, will they tell her that she's a vulgar slut, or who they just shrug it off? What would Luna say about all of this? . . . What about Natsume? Will he say something dirty about it, or would he ignore her? She preferred the latter option. The two biggest questions of her were: would the judges like her song?

Would she get in?

_Well, _she thought, _all these questions will be answered in twenty-four hours time . . . Oh God help me._

**0**

**End Of Chapter Ten**

**0**


	12. The Second Round: Part I

**Disclaimer: **So I don't have an iPhone, I don't have a poodle, I don't have a Louis Vuitton bag . . . _yet_. But I will never have Alice Gakuen.

**0**

**My Happy Ending  
**_**by Little Miss Giggle**_

**0**

**Chapter Eleven: The Second Round  
Part I**

**0**

_I don't need no superman, with special powers and a fake tan,  
to try and save the day for me.  
Why can't he just let me be?_

**0**

The stage where the contestants were going to perform on was decorated extravagantly; tinsel and Christmas lights were draped from the top, fake snow was sprinkled lightly on to the stage but biggest thing was that on the left side of the stage, a humongous Christmas tree stood, lavishly decorated. All this glitzy decoration was down to Narumi, who had spent the morning of his Christmas Eve making the stage look like what it did now. It was 7 o'clock, and the Second Round was about to start any minute now; the crowd was chanting names of bands or solo performers, whilst some were lifting the already-lifted Christmas spirits by singing, "We Wish You A Merry Christmas (And A Happy New Year)"

"Oh my frigging God." Permy's hollow voice echoed. The girls were all set now; their make up was immaculate, and their costumes were on. They could practically sing slash play their piece backwards now. The morning of Christmas Eve wasn't a nice one; all four girls woke up feeling groggy and nervous. After changing into something comfortable, they went straight to the practice rooms, to practice their piece for the last time before the performance. Lunch was eaten in silence; the air of the girls' room was tense and eerie. And now, it's easy to say that the four girls had cracked.

"What?" Anna squeakily asked, "What's wrong, Permy?"

"_Snow!_" Permy hysterically shrieked, "There is _snow _on the stage! Oh Lord—what if I trip?"

"You won't honey, don't worry . . ." Nonoko answered. But her voice wasn't so convincing. She was holding on to her twin's hand tighter than ever. Hotaru, who was clicking on her Blackberry had a strong, fearless façade on; but to be honest, even she was feeling worms in her stomach.

"I just got a text from Aoi." Hotaru said, as she switched her Blackberry off, "She wishes us all luck. And tells us not to worry."

"Not to worry?" Permy repeated incredulously. "I'm worried _sick! _And I don't know who can blame me!"

"You weren't the slightest bit worried in the First Round." Hotaru easily replied.

"Yeah, because there was no set genre slash theme for it!" Permy snapped fiercely. But then her fierce face died down only to be replaced with a worried look, "Do I look fine?"

"You look fab, Perms." Anna reassured her, while Nonoko nodded in agreement. Permy was wearing an emerald green satin dress, which made her eyes pop, with a pair of gorgeous silver heels. She was decorated with jewelry and her makeup was bold and her body was sprinkled with glitter. She looked beautiful.

Permy's mouth turned up into a weak smile, "Thanks, A. You look fab too; so do you Nonoko. You too, Hotaru. Mmm, very sexy."

Anna and Nonoko let out a small giggle, and Hotaru just scoffed. The twins were wearing short denim shorts, a white tee from Abercrombie, which managed to look revealing yet conservative at the same time, long brown leather boots, and to top it off a fashionable straw hat on their heads. Hotaru was wearing a short black satin dress and her makeup was smoky which contrasted to her pearl white skin. Black heels were placed upon her small feet, and she wore a silver necklace. Her hair, which is normally in a shape of a bob, was straightened, thanks to the twins, and it made it seem much longer.

"Where's Mikan?" Anna asked. "Is she still hiding in her changing room?"

Hotaru nodded while her eyes rolled by the slightest, "She's too embarrassed to come out. She thinks she looks like a seductress."

"Seductress?" Permy scoffed. "Have you _seen _Luna's group, Bunny Love? _Dee_s-gusting. It's like the Mean Girl's Jingle Bell dance costume only a billion times worse. Besides, isn't that the point? To be a seductress for this round?" The group Bunny Love, all of them wore tight short red spandex dresses, which revealed their abnormally long legs. A black belt was worn right under the bust, to push the boobs up making them spill they looked so big! Black hooker boots, fishnet tights, a Santa hat, and their signature fluffy bunny tail on their small bums was basically a recipe for guys to go gaga.

Nonoko nodded, "Mikan looks good though! She looks smokin' hot—I saw her when I did her hair, she look's—"

"Sexy!" Permy firmly concluded. "She has to get her arse here on backstage! Does she even know when she's on? The fucking performance is going to start any minute now, and I'm number seven! If she doesn't wish me luck, I'm not going to be happy tonight."

"Nonoko and I are playing two pieces after yours, Perms." Anna informed. "We're number nine. You, Hotaru?"

"Number thirteen." She answered with a grim look. "I'm superstitious. That's an unlucky number." The other three girls smiled at this, and Nonoko opened her mouth to say something, when the four heard a wail, close by. They all turned around, and on each of the girl's faces, a small smile lit up; speak of the devil; Mikan was now approaching the her four friends. But she had a bathrobe on, which she held tightly to her body. She looked distressed, her face was scrunched up, and her eyes were shifting from side to side, and as soon as she reached her friends, a stream of words came flying out of her mouth, "I can't go out on stage! I'm going to freeze! I'm so scared! I look—"

"Chill Mikan!" Anna laughed. "You look _fine_. But take your bathrobe, those boys over there are looking at you—I think they think you're naked underneath it—"

A squeak escaped from Mikan's lip, and she immediately wrenched off the bathrobe, throwing it down on the backstage floor. Her four friends immediately looked her from toe to head; Permy wolf-whistled at her friend and commented, "Mikan, you look _damn _fine! I don't know why you are freaking! If I were a guy, my peepee would be up in the sk—"

"Unnecessary, Shouda." Hotaru interrupted. The girls all laughed as Hotaru held out a bottle of water to Mikan, who was not laughing, but taking in short rasped breaths, and said, "Here, have a drink, Mikan. You'll feel loads better."

Mikan nodded, and took the bottle from her best friend.

Mikan was wearing short leather shorts, which made her bum look small and curvy. As the sketch, her legs were on full display; but they were toned, and the glitter that Anna had puffed on her legs made them glisten. The black heels she wore also emphasized her legs, making them look spidery long legs. On the top, she wore a tight black tube top, that pretty much only covered her boobs, and over to go with it, a cardigan; the sleeves were tight like spandex and glittered the way spandex do, but from elbow upwards and from her left to her right shoulder, it was fluffy and made of fake fur. Her abs was stiff and toned, and also glistened thanks to the body glitter. Bold black eyeliner dominated her face along with red lipstick. Her hair, done by Nonoko, was straightened, and then tied up into an immaculate high ponytail.

She unscrewed the cap, and took a big swig of water. After she swallowed it, she looked at her friends, "I'm so nervous."

"Yeah, we can tell!" Nonoko laughed. "Don't worry Mikan, we _all _are. You're not alone in this case." She gently took hold of Mikan's unoccupied hand and squeezed it in a comforting manner.

Mikan bit her lip, "Do I look like a whore?"

Permy shook her head, "Believe me, you don't. The costume Aoi made is _just _perfect for this round, okay?"

Mikan uncertainly nodded, but then Hotaru added in a firm voice, "Mikan, I know you'll be fine once you're up there. Remember last time how worried you were before you went on? But once you went on, you were great." Hotaru put her arm on Mikan's shoulder, "Trust me, Mikan."

Mikan nodded, and then a smile gradually lit her face. She was blessed to have friends such as these—her eyes shifted to each one of them, and she thought about Aoi, who was in that crazy crowd out there, supporting them all. She was blessed, that was for certain. But then her mouth widened, and she smacked her head with the bottle, which was still in her hand, "Bollocks! I forgot to check what number I am! The performance is going to start any minute—"

"Come on, I'll come check with you." Hotaru offered with an exasperated sigh. Mikan threw Hotaru a smile of thanks, took hold of her hand, and they both went to go see the sheet of paper that was pinned to the backstage notice board.

"Be quick!" they heard Anna call after them.

The notice board wasn't crowded; all the performers were actually crowded behind the curtain of the stage, all trying to get a peak of the crowd, judges and the decorated stage. Mikan scanned the list of performers and a pout surfaced to her face, "Hey Hotaru, can you see my name, or am I just blind—"

Hotaru sighed, "I'm sure it's there, just keep looking, Mikan . . ."

Mikan turned back, and she couldn't help glare when she saw her best friend filing her nails, her back turned to her. "Thanks for the help, Hotaru." Mikan sarcastically growled before she turned back to look at the sheet. There was a pause, but then Hotaru heard her best friend childishly whine, "I can't find my name—"

"Here, let me help."

Hotaru frowned. Who did that voice belong to? She whipped her head around only to see a boy with blonde hair and gentle blue eyes like the sea looking down at Mikan with a soft smile on his face. He was tall and lean, and had a calm aura around him.

"Oh, thank you!"

"Name?" he asked.

"Mikan Sakura!"

Hotaru mentally swore; does her best friend any idea who she's talking to? "Mikan—" she sharply called, only to be interrupted by the surprised looking blonde, "Mikan Sakura?" he repeated incredulously, "_You_'_re _Mikan Sakura?"

Mikan smiled, "Yeah, that's me! And this," she turned to look at her best friend, who had a contorted look on her face, "is my best friend, Hotaru Imai!"

The blonde looked surprised, and his eyes travelled from Mikan's head to her toe. He then blinked, and turned to look at her best friend, who was obviously scowling at him. Nevertheless, he smiled in her direction, and inclined his head and politely said, "Charmed." before he turned to look at the sheet that was pinned on the notice board in search of her name. Mikan was just about to ask him for his name, when she felt Hotaru pull her close to her, and hiss in her ear, "Are you crazy! Do you have any idea who that is?"

Confused, Mikan looked at her best friend with her eyebrows furrowed, and opened her mouth to reply, but the blonde got there before her, "Found your name! You number twenty two. Three places before my band."

"Oooh, band? What band do you play for?"

"For my band."

Mikan felt her whole body freeze. That voice—that low, husky voice that was filled with power and masculinity; the way the R rolled in his sentence. That voice could only belong to one guy. She turned her head slowly, and her heart sunk; she was right. There, standing looking as bored and rugged as ever, stood Natsume Hyuuga. His hair seemed a bit longer since last time she saw him—definitely scruffier too. He even seemed taller for crying out loud—how much can a month do to one?

And as much as her heart hated to admit it, he looked good. _Really_ good.

"Natsume!" the blonde said, "Where did you go? Koko sent me to look for you—"

"Needed some aqua." He blandly answered, as he lifted up his bottle, which he clutched his hand.

Mikan couldn't help her jaw drop; this—this sweet kind boy was in Natsume's band? Crimson Abyss? She mentally cursed, _Holy shit! Is this Ruka Nogi? _This sweet kind boy was the best friend of the notorious Natsume Hyuuga? And then she felt as if a rock hit her on the head. Of _course _it was Ruka Nogi—she should have remembered from the Welcome assembly back in August . . . or was it September? Anyway, the point is, she should have remembered because he and Hyuuga were the two chosen pupils to come to the stage and talk about their school experience. Holy crap—no wonder blondie was like, _You're _Mikan Sakura?

Emphasis on the you're.

"Come on, Koko needs your help with the chords—he can't remember if he has to strum a G chord or a C chord."

Natsume rolled his eyes, "The idiot." But then, his crimson eyes, which were rested on Ruka suddenly travelled down towards the girl who stood beside him. Her lips were pursed, and her arms crossed tightly by her chest and hell she looked cranky. There was something familiar in that scowl present on her fact—"Polka?" Natsume double-checked, one of his eyebrows raised.

"That's _Sakura _to you, Hyuuga." She answered curtly.

A wolfish grin spread across his face, "Well what do you know, it _is _Polka Dots." He inspected her again from head to toe before he commented, "Didn't recognise you; but who could blame me, the last memory I have of you was wearing a long skirt and a disgusting woolly jumper."

"I see you're as charming as ever." Mikan replied as her lips curled.

"You've lost weight." He commented in a matter-of-factly tone. He stepped closer to her, and looked down at her. "Especially around—"

"Don't look at me and analyze me, you pervert!" Mikan said, as she pushed his nearing torso away from her body.

He blinked before a rather cheeky smirk formed on his face and then he remarked, "Been on a diet then, eh? And weren't you the one telling me that you think diets are stupid?"

"I do think they are stupid!" Mikan snapped. "And I _have _been eating for your information!"

"Well I don't know what you've been eating, but you've definitely eaten your words."

Mikan blinked, and she was about to shriek at him, when Natsume continued, "Thinking about our date, that was a long time ago. I didn't see you in November . . . how about we make another bet? Go on, I dare you—"

"I am _not _making the same mistake twice." Mikan firmly answered, "No bets."

"As you wish." He shrugged easily, "Broken up with that bastard from Nagoya yet?"

"No." Mikan answered. A smile lit her face and she added, "Actually I was just about to call him. So if you will excuse us," Mikan pushed Natsume to the side, as she reached out for Hotaru's arm, "I have a phone call to make." With that, she immediately linked herself with her best friend, and walked away.

"_That _was Mikan Sakura?" Ruka asked incredulously, once the girls were out of earshot. "God, you weren't exaggerating; she _is _hot!"

"What? You think I'd choose some ugly old hag to be my next girlfriend? Come on, you should know me better, Ruka."

"I've passed her in the hallways before, but I never actually looked at her properly—but bloody hell! She is well fi—"

"Keep your dirty hands off her." Natsume warned, in a rather amused tone, "I found her first."

Ruka put his hand up showing his loyalty to his best friend, before his slyly added, "And you weren't exaggerating about her personality either—she's _harsh!_"

"She has a nice arse too." Natsume dryly commented. Ruka laughed as he punched his best friend's arm, "Is that all you think about?"

"No. I was actually thinking about November." Natsume replied as he rolled his neck. "Now I think about it, I hardly did anything in November. Apart from my birthday night, I didn't go out, did I?"

Ruka shrugged, "Yeah, well, you were busy."

Natsume clicked his tongue before he answered, "Yeah, the thing is, I _wasn't_ busy. I just couldn't be bothered to do anything." And not that he was going to say it out loud but . . . nightmares had been making him stay up late in thought. Memories; flashes; screaming—

Ruka chuckled, "I know that tone of voice . . . what are you planning to do, Natsume?"

Natsume blinked, pushing aside all his thoughts, and turned to look back a Ruka. He paused for a second or two, and then, a smirk fell across Natsume's face, "I still want Mikan Sakura. And that's going to be my New Year's Resolution: to get her."

"Lord help her . . ." Ruka mockingly sighed.

"Speaking of the Lord . . . is there anything you want to confess, Ruka?"

Ruka furrowed his eyebrows in bewilderment at his best friend's sudden question. "What? Confess?"

Natsume cocked his head to the side, "Come on, you and I both know you were looking at her friend."

A peachy blush fell upon Ruka's face, as he heatedly spluttered, "W-What? N-No I wasn't—"

Natsume smiled in a wry manner, "Whatever you say Ruka. Come on; let's go find that idiot Koko. I've told him more than a thousand times about the chord . . ."

**0**

"How could I have been so _stupid_?" Mikan muttered in disbelief, as she repeatedly smacked her head, "I know what Ruka Nogi looks like—how could I have not recognised him?"

The two best friends were currently walking away from Natsume and Ruka, talking in heated whispers, with their heads close together so they could hear one another, yet not be heard by any bystanders.

Hotaru shrugged, "What's done is done, I suppose. By the way, you were really convincing about the whole boyfriend in Nagoya thing. Well done."

Mikan's face broke into a smile as soon as her best friend had complimented her, "Awww shucks, really? That's sweet to hear from you!" She giggled, and was about to add something when—

"Oi, Mikan, Hotaru!"

Both girls looked up, to see Permy a few steps away, gesturing with her hands for them to speed up, "Come _on_ both of you! The performance is about to start any second now!"

Once Mikan and Hotaru were a metre away from her, Permy grabbed both their hands, and quickly dragged them to the spot they had previously been, where Anna and Nonoko still stood. "Girls, you just made it! The performance is about to start!"

"We just met Ruka Nogi," Mikan stonily said, "and we also met an old friend too; we just saw Hyuuga."

Permy, Anna and Nonoko froze before their heads slowly turned towards her. But then Permy let out a scoff, "Fantastic. I guess Hyuuga's back in the picture—" her eyes suddenly widened and she gasped, "Please tell me you didn't make another bet with him—"

"She didn't." Hotaru calmly answered, "She actually handled it really well; I was impressed."

"Good." Permy haughtily replied. "Well you can tell us all the details back in the room when we're with Aoi and this whole thing is over—"

"_Welcome students to the Second Round of the Music Competition!" _The loud booming voice of Mr. Prince echoed. Mikan's eye widened as she heard the roaring cheer of the crowd. Three hundred and sixty students in the crowd today. She felt her legs becoming weak, and she felt her palms getting clammy—and then it hit her. Not only was she dressed like this, but also she was going to have to perform her piece about what she really thought of Hyuuga soon.

"S-shit! I can't do this!" Mikan shakily stammered, but before she could say anything else, all her friends clung onto her and they all reassured her firmly, "Don't worry, you'll be fine Mikan!"

"_Us judges have been waiting for this night for a very long time—we can't wait to see what all forty performers have in store for us today!" __Mr. Prince's voice continued, "__Now, I will pass the microphone to our very own Mr. Reo Mouri; he shall remind you all of the rules, and proceed by giving the microphone to Mr. Narumi, who shall announce the performers. Thank you, have a very Merry Christmas Eve!"_

The crowd cheered and whooped loudly a few more times before the bland voice of Mr. Reo Mouri was heard; "_It is _strictly_ against the rules to throw items such as tomatoes on the stage while somebody is performing. Items such as flowers are allowed to be thrown at the contestants, but please refrain from doing so. We have also placed police officers from the Tokyo Police Station before the stage." _The crowd murmured in shock—police? "_The reason we have decided to put police offers before the stage is because, the set theme for this round is . . . seduction._" The crowd 'oooh'-ed in anticipation."_Each contestant will have to produce a song that will tempt you. And I know for sure that all of you out there have . . . urges. The last thing us judges want is some horny teenager to climb up the stage to tackle the person performing."_

Laughter rippled through the crowd; and backstage, even the shaking Mikan managed to laugh out loud.

"_As Mr. Prince said, I hope you have a Merry Christmas Eve. Thank you."_

The crowd cheered, and some people even stuck up their banners, which read, I LOVE YOU MR REO! But the crowd silenced once more, to hear what Mr. Narumi had to say, "_Sooooo! Please welcome our first contestant of the night; our very own hip-hop artist Misaki Harada!"_

**0**

The Second Round had officially begun.

Whoever Misaki Harada was, it was obvious to Mikan that she had spunk and a talent to dance _and _sing at the same time. Her outstanding performance followed with many other incredible pieces, and before they knew it, Permy had gone up on the stage, all after they had kissed her on the cheek, wished her luck and reassured her that she'd be fine.

The girls hummed along to the sound Permy's violin made; they practically heard her practice it more than a billion times; it was a tune that they would never forget in their lifetime. Permy's violin made sounds that sounded like murmurs and moans; how she did it was unknown. It was a mysterious song and was slow and vague. Mikan smiled when she caught a glimpse of the crowd; the boys out there _did_ look they wanted to jump at her. Even better, the judges looked impressed; Jinno looked proud of his student.

The crowd erupted into a cheer when Permy bowed down, signaling that her performance had come to and end. Permy brightly smiled at the crowd, and did a little curtsey before she quickly walked off the stage, only to be hugged tightly by her friends.

"Well done." Hotaru complimented, "It went really well."

Anna and Nonoko whooped, and hugged the panting Permy again. Mikan clapped and added, "You were fantastic!"

Permy inhaled a deep breath before she breathlessly said, "You don't know how freakin' scared I was." She let out a breath before a weak smile lit her face, "At least it's all over now."

"_Now, please welcome Sierra Tsukishima to the stage!" _Narumi's voice echoed only to be followed by another round of applause and cheering. Permy sat down on a chair, not even bothering stay standing and watch Sierra Tsukishima's performance. She took a large swig of her one litre Evian bottle and once she was satisfied, she smacked her lips, and she sighed, "_So _glad it's over."

Anna and Nonoko bit their lips, as they heard the voice of Sierra Tsukishima sing in the background, and Anna meekly said, "Golly, we're after this contestant, Nonoko."

Nonoko nervously nodded, before she turned to Permy, "What's it like out there?"

"The same as the First Round," Permy answered, "although this time I had way more supporting banners in the crowd. That made me smile out there—I definitely caught sight of Aoi's banner."

Anna and Nonoko nodded together, and they held onto each other's hand tightly, whilst their lips were pressed together. Mikan noticed their tense atmosphere and said, "Don't worry you guys! At least you two have each other out there, eh?"

The twins answered by giving a distinct nod, but didn't say anything. They kept silent for some time—their eyes shifted nervously and their legs were shaking by the slightest. Mikan gently smiled, "Nerves are always cruel, aren't they?"

"_Thank you, Sierra Tsukishima for your performance!" _Narumi's voice rang, and the twins immediately squeaked, "_And nooow, for the beautiful twins: Anna and Nonoko! Give 'em a whoopey-di-wooop!"_

"That's your cue to go, babes!" Permy said, as she nudged the two frozen twins.

"Good luck; you'll be fine." Hotaru simply reassured, as she gave a strong nod.

The twins whimpered, and then suddenly they felt warm; Mikan had pulled them in an embrace, and kissed both their cheeks before she said, "Go enjoy your performance!"

Reluctantly, they walked out onto the stage. Mikan kept her fingers crossed from them, and loudly whistled for them; and she couldn't help laugh when she saw the look on the twin's face; as soon as they were out there in the spotlight, their aura had changed from nervous anxious girls to two confident beautiful looking girls who looked like they could put on a show.

"Hey y'all!" Anna and Nonoko loudly said in the microphone in sync. The crowd greeted them back by cheering and screaming for the twins.

"This song is dedicated to the loser I dated back home in Texas—enjoy it!" Nonoko loudly said, only to be answered by the loud screaming of the crowd.

_Before He Cheats_

_Carrie Underwood_

_Right now he's probably slow dancing with a bleach blond tramp,_  
_and she's probably getting frisky_  
_Right now, he's probably buying her some fruity little drink cause  
she can't shoot whiskey  
Right now, he's probably up behind her with a pool-stick,  
showing her how to shoot a comb._

_And he don't know . . ._

_That I dug my key into the side of his pretty little souped up 4 wheel drive,  
carved my name into his leather seats_  
_I took a Louisville slugger to both headlights,_  
_slashed a hole in all 4 tires_  
_Maybe next time he'll think before he cheats._

_Right now, she's probably up singing some_  
_white-trash version of Shania karaoke_  
_Right now, she's probably saying, "I'm drunk!"_  
_and he's a thinking that he's gonna get lucky,_  
_Right now, he's probably dabbing on 3 dollars worth of that bathroom polo_

_And he don't know . . ._

_That I dug my key into the side of his pretty little souped up 4 wheel drive,  
carved my name into his leather seats,_  
_I took a Louisville slugger to both headlights,_  
_slashed a hole in all 4 tires_  
_Maybe next time he'll think before he cheats._

_I might've saved a little trouble for the next girl,_  
_Cause the next time that he cheats_  
_Oh, you know it won't be on me . . ._  
_No . . . not on me_

_'Cause I dug my key into the side of his pretty little souped up 4 wheel drive,  
carved my name into his leather seats_  
_I took a Louisville slugger to both headlights,_  
_slashed a hole in all 4 tires_  
_Maybe next time he'll think before he cheats._

_Oh . . . Maybe next time he'll think before he cheats . . ._

_Ohh . . . before he cheats._

As the last note of the song died, the audience erupted; cheers, screams, whoops, clapping and whistling could be heard. Even from backstage cheering could be heard; Mikan and Permy loudly whistled and whooped while Hotaru clapped gracefully.

"Thanks, and enjoy your night!" Anna said into the microphone, her voice bubbly and almost-squealing, before she took hold of her sister's hand, bowed to the audience, and walked off the stage together. Once they were close enough, Mikan pulled them into a tight bear hug along with Permy. Hotaru, on the other hand, just patted their backs. "Well done, that went fantastically!" Mikan gushed.

Hotaru nodded, "Impressive."

Permy laughed, "It was incredible—loved your little dance movements—très sexy!"

"Thanks y'all—Permy's right," Nonoko said, as she looked at Mikan and Hotaru, "it's completely fine once you're _up _there."

Anna squealed, "It was exhilarating!"

Mikan laughed but then a wry smile crossed her face, "I never did actually ask," she turned to look at Nonoko who had a cheeky smile on her face, "your song—is it all true? What you did to the idiot's car?"

Nonoko wiggled her eyebrows, "You bet. His name was Ray—what a moron _he _was."

Anna quickly added, "And hideous. He had a _mullet_."

Permy snorted, "You went out with someone with a mullet? Gross!"

Nonoko's eyes twinkled, "He had nice lips. But in the end, he got what he deserved—it was Anna and I who trashed his car. We hid behind some trees to observe his reactions when he saw his precious car. I wish I had a video camera—it was absolutely hilarious! He went wild, and when he saw my name that was carved in his leather seat, he started shouting my name as if it were the devil's name!"

**0**

Even though thirteen might be the unlucky number for some people, for the superstitious Hotaru, it did her good. Her piano performance was immaculate; she didn't make any mistakes, and it was flowing beautifully. Her piece was mysterious, just like her; the tone, the dynamics of the piece just made shivers run up one's spine. Once she had hit the last note, and after the echoed had died down, the crowd went rabid once more; Mikan, Permy, Anna and Nonoko goggled at the audience; Hotaru had so many fans—people were waving her name around with their banners, and somebody in the audience was _crying _while screaming, "I LOVE YOU COOL BLUE SKY!"

Mikan's eyes twitched.

Hotaru gracefully stood up from the piano stool, elegantly bowed at the crowd before she swiftly walked off the stage. All while ignoring the crowd's shouts for her—well at least she _tried _to ignore it, her face was contorted into a scowl, and so she probably _could _hear the crazy fans. Once she had reached her friends, she braced herself to be squeezed to death by them; and her assumptions were correct: they _did _squeeze her into a tight hug.

All of them.

"Bloody hell, Hotaru!" Permy said, as she pulled away from the hug. "How many fans do you have?"

"They are so annoying." Hotaru bluntly remarked.

The twins and Mikan laughed, but Permy pressed on, "Well at least you _have _fans! Did you see the poor girl who went before you? Hardly anybody cheered for that girl—"

Anna shrugged, "Yeah, well, she had no sex appeal."

Mikan's eye widened and she froze. "Bollocks, what if no one cheers for me?"

Nonoko threw her head back and laughed out loud, "Sweet nibblets, Mikan! Are you joking? Of _course _people would cheer for ya! Right, Anna?"

"Totally!" Anna firmly confirmed.

"Mikan," Permy said, "take it from me. At the moment, what you're wearing is loaded with sex appeal. I can _see _waves emitting from you; waves which read, I am a sexy beast. So chill, okay?"

Mikan gave an uncertain nod, but then she turned to her best friend once more and smiled at her, "I'm so effin' proud of you!"

Hotaru's corners of her lips turned up, "You better make me proud of you when you perform, or I might ditch you as a best friend." Mikan gaped, but then her mouth shut close, and scrunched up into a pout.

"Oooh, harsh Hotaru." Permy snickered.

"_Police officers, please take your positions—and now, boys and girls, welcome the most-wanted girl group, _Bunny Love, _to the stage!_"

Mikan's mouth literally hit the ground when she heard the noise level. Hotaru sighed, and simply put her hands to her ears while she murmured, "Can't believe I forgot the earplugs." Permy's whole face was twitching, as her jaw hanged comically. Anna and Nonoko had a pained look on their face as they clamped their ears with their hands. All the four could hear was screaming like never before—it was the noise Hotaru's fans made, only a thousand times worse. They were _properly _screaming; but the noise the crowd was making all sounded masculine.

"I think every guy out there in the crowd tonight is going to lose their voice after Bunny Love is over." Permy nastily commented, as she let out an annoyed huff, "Look at them prance around on the stage—those sluts."

"Hiya!" Luna Koizumi cutely giggled into the microphone. "Shuush guys, shush!"

Mikan wanted to vomit; what act was Luna putting on?

"Oh she did _not _just do that." Permy hissed, "That was revolting."

"Boooyss, hush!" Luna tittered, as she put her long slender finger to her red lips, "If you guys don't behave, me and my girlies," she flicked her head in the direction of her other group members, which allowed her bleach blonde hair to dance around, "will have to punish yooooou . . ." she giggled suggestively, as probably all the male population in the crowd wolfishly whistled in delight.

Mikan blanched before she weakly said, "I feel sick."

Hotaru let out a scoff that was embedded with disgust.

The crowd roared once more—well, the boys roared once more, before Luna clearly said in the microphone, "Enjoy our song! And boys, save the fantasies for tonight, 'kay?"

_Buttons_

_Pussy Cat Dolls_

_I'm telling you loosen up my buttons baby (Uh huh)_  
_But you keep fronting (Uh)_  
_Saying what you going do to me (Uh huh)_  
_But I ain't seen nothing (Uh)_

_I'm telling you loosen up my buttons baby (Uh huh)_  
_But you keep fronting (Uh)_  
_Saying what you going do to me (Uh huh)_  
_But I ain't seen nothing (Uh)_

_Typical_

_Hardly the type I fall for_  
_I like when the physical_  
_Don't leave me asking for more_  
_I'm a sexy mama (mama)_

_Who knows just how to get what I wanna (wanna)_  
_What I want to do is spring this on you (on you)_  
_Back up all of the things that I told you (told you)_  
_You've been saying all the right things all night long_  
_But I can't seem to get you over here to help take this off_

_Baby, can't you see? (see)_

_How these clothes are fitting on me (me)_  
_And the heat coming from this beat (beat)_  
_I'm about to blow_  
_I don't think you know_

_I'm telling you loosen up my buttons baby (Uh huh)_  
_But you keep fronting (Uh)_  
_Saying what you going do to me (Uh huh)_  
_But I ain't seen nothing (Uh)_

_I'm telling you loosen up my buttons baby (Uh huh)_  
_But you keep fronting (Uh)_  
_Saying what you going do to me (Uh huh)_  
_But I ain't seen nothing (Uh)_

_You say you're a big boy_  
_But I can't agree_  
_'Cause the love you said you had_  
_Ain't been put on me_

_I wonder (wonder)_  
_If I'm just too much for you_  
_Wonder (wonder)_

_If my kiss don't make you just_  
_Wonder (wonder)_  
_What I got next for you_  
_What you want to do? (do)_

_Take a chance to recognize that this could be yours_  
_I can see, just like most guys that your game don't please_

_Baby, can't you see? (see)_  
_How these clothes are fitting on me (me)_  
_And the heat coming from this beat (beat)_  
_I'm about to blow_  
_I don't think you know_

_I'm telling you loosen up my buttons baby (Uh huh)_  
_But you keep fronting (Uh)_  
_Saying what you going do to me (Uh huh)_  
_But I ain't seen nothing (Uh)_

_I'm telling you loosen up my buttons baby (Uh huh)_  
_But you keep fronting (Uh)_  
_Saying what you going do to me (Uh huh)_

_But I ain't seen nothing (Uh)_

_Come on baby, loosen up my buttons babe_  
_Loosen up my buttons babe_  
_Baby, won't you loosen up my buttons babe?_  
_Loosen up my buttons babe_

_Come on baby, loosen up my buttons babe_  
_Loosen up my buttons babe_  
_Baby, won't you loosen up my buttons babe?_  
_Loosen up my buttons babe_

_I'm telling you loosen up my buttons baby (Uh huh)_  
_But you keep fronting (Uh)_  
_Saying what you going do to me (Uh huh)_  
_But I ain't seen nothing (Uh)_

_I'm telling you loosen up my buttons baby (Uh huh)_  
_But you keep fronting (Uh)_  
_Saying what you going to do to me (Uh huh)_  
_But I ain't seen nothing (Uh)_

_(Ah-ah-ah)_

_I'm telling you loosen up my buttons baby (Uh huh)_  
_But you keep fronting (Uh)_  
_Saying what you going to do to me (Uh huh)_  
_But I ain't seen nothing (Uh)_

_I'm telling you loosen up my buttons baby (Uh huh)_  
_But you keep fronting (Uh)_  
_Saying what you going to do to me (Uh huh)_  
_But I ain't seen nothing (Uh)_

"That," Anna spat, "was _shocking_."

Bunny Love were definitely loaded with sex appeal, even Permy could admit that, but to be honest, one might think they were taking it a bit too far; some girls in the group were putting their legs behind their heads, others laid down on the stage floor at some point and thrusted their groin up and down. For crying out loud, two girls were licking each other's arms and legs! But as much as they hated to say it, they had to admit that it was one hell of a show. This is probably what the Academy was looking for; daring performances. Hey, it may had been completely vulgar, but the theme _was _Seduction . . .

And not to mention, the boys in the crowd _loved _it.

The judges even seemed to be impressed.

Luna giggled confidently into the microphone once more before she said, "Thank youuu! See you in the next round!"

And with that, the group Bunny Love linked arms, and with their bums wiggling, left the stage, only for the boys to howl after them.

Permy rolled her eyes, "Boys—they are hopeless."

"The lyrics were _terrible _though!" Nonoko commented, "They just kept repeating the same words over and over again!"

Permy snorted, "Yeah, even when I was friends with her I thought she was shit at writing lyrics! She's brainless—"

"Heya giiiirls," a sugary voice called, "did you enjoy our show?"

Mikan's heart sunk when she turned around to see the group _Bunny Love_ standing before her, with Luna Koizumi standing in the middle, a step in front of the rest of them.

"It was great. Now, care to leave us?" Permy scathingly said through gritted teeth.

"Oooh, naughty naughty Sumi-chan!" Luna tutted, "Is that they way to treat your ex-best friend?" her big blue eyes looked at Permy from head to toe before she commented, "You're looking great, Sumi-chan! Are you doing something different, or are you just hanging out with uglier friends, so that way you look better than the rest of them?"

The group members of _Bunny Love_ cackled with laughter. Anna and Nonoko narrowed their eyes at Luna, Hotaru angrily pursed her lips, and Mikan was about to blow when Permy threw a hollow smile back and answered, "You're looking super yourself, Luna. So, are you eating less or just barfing more?"

Luna's pretty façade immediately fell. Her ski-jump nose flared as Permy menacingly smiled at her. "Hmph!" was the sound that came out of her lips, but then a fake smile was plastered to her face once again, and she turned to Mikan, "_Speaking _of looking good, my, my, Mikan Sakura! What have _you _been up to the past month?"

Mikan threw a mocking smile back, "Like you _really _want to know?"

Luna pouted but then she said, "No, you're right. I don't care." Her smile widened, "Good luckkk with your piece, Sakurrra."

"I don't need your luck, Koizumi."

"Meee-_aaaooow!_ Cat fight, baby!" a bubbly voice laughed. Mikan twirled her head to see who had just said that, and she crinkled her nose when she saw who it was. There, standing there with a cool and poised atmosphere was the band members of _Crimson Abyss_. And _who _had just said that? It was none other than the famous joker, Kokoro Yomi. Immediately, Permy's nose flared, and her hands clenched.

Luna gasped, "Natsu-mee!" She pushed Mikan aside with her claws, before she lashed herself onto him; "I haven't seen you in for_everrr!_ Did you enjoy our performance?"

Natsume looked at her with tired eyes before he blandly drawled, "Get off me, Koizumi."

Luna pouted, "Why the long face, Nat? Is somebody a bit tense for their performance tonight—"

"Cut him some slack, Koizumi." Hotaru's harsh voice commanded, "Can't you see your making him feel sick?"

The girls of _Bunny Love_ hissed at Hotaru; no seriously _hissed, _before Luna cackled with laughter. "Sick? Nat isn't feeling sick—"

"Well _I _am. So if you will excuse me, before I vomit on your clothes. No wait, it wouldn't matter if I did anyway, you're not wearing anything. Nevertheless, I don't want you to rub off on me." And with that, the cool cold Hotaru Imai walked off, only to leave her friends smiling triumphantly and Luna Koizumi to purse her lips.

"Now _that _is a girl with serious spunk!" Kokoro Yomi commented, "I like it—"

"She's already taken by Ruka." Natsume interrupted, as he threw a cheeky glance at his best friend. Permy, Anna, Nonoko and Mikan's mouth immediately opened by the slightest—Natsume' best friend liked Mikan's best friend? What the hell?

Ruka, who was gazing after Hotaru blinked twice and turned into a furious shade of red, "_Natsume_—"

"So," Natsume continued, unaffected by Ruka's outburst (he merely just looked amused by the whole thing), as he looked down onto the petite figure of Mikan, "you nervous? Sure you don't want to make another bet?"

"Bet?" Luna hissed, "What bet?"

"None of your business, Koizumi." Permy snapped before she turned to Natsume, "Mikan is _sure _she doesn't want to make another bet—"

"Oooh! You—Sumire Shouda!" Kokoro Yomi suddenly said, as he excitedly looked at Permy, who twitched, but then scathingly answered, "Yes, me."

Kokoro Yomi goofily grinned, "Is your nose okay? After you swore and said many colourful words yesterday, I kinda felt bad—"

"What bet?" Luna breathlessly shrieked, silencing everybody. "Nat, don't tell me—are you interested in _Mikan Sakura_?"

Natsume looked at his ex-girlfriend rather emotionlessly before he draped his arm around Mikan's shoulder, "Yeah, I am."

Mikan rolled her eyes before she sighed, "Unfortunately." And with that, she clamped her hand onto his hand, and pushed it away.

Luna's jaw dropped down before she heatedly said, "Oh you are _joking!_ I thought you broke up with that cow, Shouda to get back with me!"

"_Actually, _you _luna_tic, Hyuuga broke up with me because he was _bored _of me. He doesn't come back to girls; you should know that by now, Koizumi. After he's done screwing them, he finds a new hoe to screw, and before we know it, he has a _new _hoe. It's the circle of life in his eyes."

"Woah, woah, woah!" a boy, who Mikan recognized to be the boy who shared Number Six with Kokoro Yomi; Kitsune-me, "Calm down, girlies!"

"Naah," Kokoro Yomi smiled, "I like this!"

"Mikan," Anna suddenly piped up, as she pulled Mikan towards her and Nonoko, "You promised . . . um . . . Daisuke, your _boyfriend_, that you would call him—"

"Daisuke?" Natsume repeated, as his eyebrows rose. He looked down at Mikan, suspiciously before he said, "I could have sworn you said your boyfriend's name was Ryo."

"_Shit_." Anna inaudibly cursed. Nonoko twitched nervously as Permy bit her lip. The whole cluster of people were now gazing at Mikan, who was currently swaying in her position, not knowing what the _hell _to do.

But then, she let out a laugh, and explained, "Ryo is his _real _name, you see. But Anna, here," She clamped her hands around Anna's shoulder, "had a boyfriend back home in Texas. And when I described to dear Anna about Ryo's appearance and personality, she thought that Ryo sounded like _her _ex-boyfriend, Daisuke! So Anna calls Ryo Daisuke!" Mikan laughed again, but she felt her eye twitch when she saw how unconvinced everybody looked.

Just when Mikan thought she was screwed, Luna let out an unexpected squeal, and exclaimed in a high pitch voice, "Ooooh, I do that with my girlies _alllll _the time! Whenever my friend gets new boyfriend, I _always _call him something else! Don't take it personally, boys, us girls like to play around with boys . . ." she finished, her eyebrows wiggling suggestively.

Gag.

Anna, Permy, Nonoko and Mikan all raised their eyebrows at Luna, but the didn't say anything; all they could do was mentally thank the good Lords above that Luna Koizumi had just saved Mikan's ass.

"Girls," Kitsune-me sighed as he disbelievingly shook his head, "they are so weird."

Koko nodded in agreement, but Ruka said, "Don't say that—"

"Yeah, da_h_ling Ruka is right; that's mean to say!" Luna babyishly whined as she pouted. Mikan felt bile rise to her throat, and she rolled her eyes; only to lock gazes with Natsume. Natsume was looking down at her with his crimson eyes, which were currently vacant and distant. Mikan felt tense under his scrutinizing gaze; it felt as if he was reading her. Oh God, had he figured out that everything about Ryo slash Daisuke was bull?

"U-um, Natsume . . ." a nervous timid voice called.

Everybody turned around to see a boy with glasses and sandy hair, which was neatly combed. He was biting his lip, and once Natsume turned to face him, so he could suggest, "Last minute practice . . .?"

Before Natsume could reply, Mikan gasped, and excitedly said, "Yuu!"

". . . Me?"

Mikan laughed, "No! Not _you_, _Yuu!_ Tobita Yuu, right?"

His eyes widened before he turned a furious shade of red. "Remember me?" Mikan asked but then she laughed again, "Oh come on you have to remember me—from the Welcome Students assembly thing back in September, or was it August? Oh either way, do you remember me? Mikan Sakura? I was with my best friend Hotaru Imai!"

Tobita Yuu's mouth opened by the slightest. This was Mikan Sakura? Well, hot damn she was beautiful before but now . . . woah.

He nodded frantically before he sheepishly said, "I d-do, I do remember."

A rough voice interrupted their conversation through gritted teeth, "What's your relationship with my manager?"

Mikan twirled her head around to look back at Natsume, with an annoyed look on her head, "Please, you sound like a jealous husband—_what?_ Man-manager?"

"Yeah, manager." Natsume answered. "Dating my manager is forbidden, got that?"

Mikan scoffed, "Who are _you _to tell _me _who I can date?"

Before hell could break lose, Ruka firmly said, "Okay let's go—Yuu's right, this is a _perfect_ time for last minute practices . . ." and with that, he grabbed his best mate's arm, and dragged him away, with the laughing Koko and Kitsune-me trailing behind, making boyish jokes. Tobita Yuu gave Mikan a small bow before he scurried away to follow his band.

Mikan sighed in relief; that was a close one . . . not to mention Hyuuga was _finally _gone—

Her eyes narrowed when she saw, once she had looked up, that Hyuuga was looking back at her. Once their eyes had locked again, he sent her a lazy simple wink, before he turned his head back around.

A growl emitted from Mikan.

"_That_," Nonoko said, after she let out a bottled breath, "was close—"

"You—you _boy snatcher_, Mikan Sakura!" Luna Koizumi suddenly loudly shrieked, causing all the girls to wince. Mikan then raised her eyebrows at the blonde girl, who looked enraged. Mikan was about to make a taunting comment, but when her hazel eyes flickered behind Luna, to her furious looking friends slash groupies, she decided it might be better to leave her comment to when they were alone, together, _far _away from her friends who looked like they could rip her eyes out.

Instead of her snide comment, Mikan rolled her eyes and replied, "I do not have any intentions on dating or even having anything to do with Hyuuga—he's all yours, babe."

Luna stepped closer to Mikan, and nastily said, "You think I'm so dumb blonde bimbo, don't you?"

Mikan raised her eyebrows, "Do you _really_ want me to answer that?"

Luna flicked her hair behind her back before she dangerously hissed, "I know what you and your lame friends are up too—I completely can see what you're planning. I'm not an idiot—of _course _I don't call my friend's boyfriends something other than their names—I know that all this Daisuke and Ryo business is all bullshit. But do you want to know _why _I just saved your arse, Sakura?" Luna didn't let Mikan answer, and explained, "If you want Natsume to think you have a boyfriend in Nagoya, I'm totally in on this plan. That way he might give up on you. I saved your arse to help _me_. Don't get the wrong idea, biatch."

And with that, Luna Koizumi sharply turned her heels on Mikan and her friends, and with the group Bunny Love, they left with their strong expensive smelling perfume still wafting in the air.

"That _bitch_." Permy venomously spat. "How I could have _ever _been her best friend is beyond me."

"Come on," Mikan gently said, as she patted the enraged Permy, "let's go find Hotaru—Oh my God! Speaking of Hotaru, can you believe that Ruka Nogi _likes _Hotaru—"

"Who knows if it's true." Permy interrupted in a dull voice. Mikan pouted, before Permy continued, "After all, it was Hyuuga who said that, so I'm not believing it. But the blush on Ruka's face _was _a bit suspicious."

"Yuh-huh!" Nonoko nodded. But then she turned to Mikan, "You should have told us that you called your fake boyfriend, Ryo! If you did—"

"I would have never said Daisuke!" Anna finished.

Mikan laughed, before she replied, "No biggie guys. I'm just—"

"Hang on," Anna vaguely interrupted, "Ryo . . . hey, honey, isn't that your brother?"

Mikan nodded, and explained, "I could have _sworn _that I told you this detail—when Hyuuga told me that he thought my so-called boyfriend looked gay, I asked he where the hell he got that from. He told me that he saw a picture in our room, that day I kissed that bloody slug, a picture of me and my brother. Of course, he didn't know it was my brother . . . the idiot thought it was my boyfriend."

"So . . . Hyuuga thought your brother looked gay?" Nonoko asked, in an amused tone.

Mikan nodded, "In a nutshell, yeah!"

The girls laughed out loud at Mikan's declaration. Once they had finished laughing, Nonoko sighed and said, "Well, Mikan, you have some time till your performance . . ."

Permy's eyes twinkled, "Whose up for a game of UNO?"

"UNO?"

"Oh my God!" Mikan squealed, "I love that game! Did you bring the card pack!" When Permy nodded in reply, Mikan squealed again and said, "Believe it or not, Hotaru loves UNO! I'm going to go find her, okay? Then the games shall begin!"

**0**

**End of Part I**

**0**


	13. The Second Round: Part II

**Disclaimer: **Nope. Don't own it.

**0**

**My Happy Ending  
**_**by Little Miss Giggle**_

**0**

**Chapter Eleven: The Second Round**  
**Part II**

**0**

_I don't need no superman, with special powers and a fake tan,  
to try and save the day for me.  
Why can't he just let me be?_

**0**

UNO.

It was a tight match.

The two plus card was a bitch.

The four plus card was a bastard.

And the change-the-colour card was Prince Charming riding on his white horse.

In the end, Hotaru had won; thanks to her skills in math and dirty ways. But the others didn't go down easily; no; the match was long and hard throughout the course of the time. When one says it was a long match, they mean it was a _looong _game of card.

"Rematch!" Mikan whined for the umpteenth time, "Hotaru _so _cheated! I saw her glancing at Anna's card—"

"I did no such thing." Hotaru remarked with a victorious smile on her face.

"Oh yes you did!" Mikan firmly replied, "I saw you! I am a witness—guys," she turned to the laughing Permy, Nonoko and Anna, "you don't understand what this girl is _capable _of! Back home in Nagoya, she used to make the boys cry!"

"No I didn't." Hotaru sighed, "They just had been cutting some onions."

Mikan snorted, "Yeah right! Where did the onions come from, huh?" she didn't bother to wait for a reply, instead she just wailed, "Rematch baby!"

Permy who had just finished collecting all the cards, was now shuffling them, and she said in a wry tone, "Maybe after your performance, Mikan."

Mikan pouted, "But that's _ages _away—"

Anna laughed, "No sweetie, you're up next."

Mikan blinked before the message sunk in and she gasped, "I'm _what? _I'm next? No, no, I can't be next! I'm number twenty two—"

Nonoko giggled, "Girl, number twenty one just went on stage."

Mikan gaped, "You're joking—" and with that, she abruptly stood up, and started to move around, all while she chanted some swear words. "We played UNO for _that _long? Well, I am _not _ready to perform! Oh my God, I'm next—I know! Tell them I have bird flu, I heard it's a big issue at the moment, no, wait! Hotaru tell them I just threw up—I think saying I have bird flu is going a bit too far—"

"Chill Mikan!" Permy loudly said, as she grabbed hold of the fidgety Mikan's shoulder. "_Chill_. Breathe."

Mikan took in a deep breath. And then she let it out. "Woah!" she exclaimed, a smile crossing her face, "I can finally see why people do yoga!" But then she bit her lip, and felt a bit queasy inside yet again.

"Mikan, come on," Permy urged as she guided Mikan towards the stage, the rest of them trailing after them, "you'll be fanfuckingtastic. I can already see you up there, shaking your little arse around while you sing your heart out. Trust me on this one, okay?"

Mikan nodded, and she let out a bottled up breath. "Trust us too!" Anna chirped, as she indicated to her and her twin, "You saw how nervous we were—and look at us now; after it's over, it's over. Finito." Mikan smiled, and then her head turned to her best friend.

"You'll be fine." Were her best friend's three simple words. But those three simple words meant a lot to Mikan.

"_And now, please welcome Mikan Sakura to the stage!"_

Mikan felt her heart pause for a moment. This was it. But without further ado, she looked at her friends, all of them, and then her face cracked into a smile. And with that, she walked onto the stage, only to be blinded by the spot light and to be deafened by the screaming crowd. To the viewers, it almost looked like she floated onto the stage she walked so light-footedly. And once Mikan saw the crowd clearly, and saw how many people were jumping up and down, screaming, she immediately felt like a real celebrity. And hell it felt good.

"Good evening, Alice Academy!" Mikan said into the microphone, only to marvel at the incredible echo of her voice that followed. She couldn't help smile when she saw the crowd go even wilder.

Mikan didn't feel the slightest bit worried anymore—the fact that she was wearing Aoi's costume, or the fact that she might not get into the Third Round, or the fact that the crowd might hate her song didn't matter to her anymore. _Well_, she thought, _I'll let those feelings catch up to me later_.

"This song," Mikan announced in the microphone, "is dedicated to a certain lady-killer," she started to walk around the stage, earning her lots of wolf-whistles and cheers, "who took me out to a date back in October. You all probably know of him—but hey, I'm not a mean girl, I'm not mentioning any names." She laughed before she continued, "I'll let your thoughts think about who this mystery guy is, eh?"

The crowd screamed. Mikan laughed into the microphone before the music blasted out; only for Mikan to sing along, performing her second song to the Alice Academy.

_Womanizer_

_Britney Spears_

_Superstar_  
_Where you from, how's it going?_  
_I know you_  
_Gotta clue, what youre doing?_  
_You can play brand new to all the other chicks out here_  
_But I know what you are, what you are, baby_

_Look at you_  
_Gettin' more than just re-up_  
_Baby, you_  
_Got all the puppets with their strings up_

_Fakin' like a good one, but I call 'em like I see 'em_  
_I know what you are, what you are, baby_

_Womanizer_  
_Woman-Womanizer_  
_You're a womanizer_  
_Oh Womanizer_  
_Oh You're a Womanizer Baby_  
_You, You You Are_  
_You, You You Are_  
_Womanizer, Womanizer, Womanizer_

_Boy don't try to front I (I) know just (just) what you are (are are)_  
_Boy don't try to front I (I) know just (just) what you are (are are)_

_You Got Me Goin'_  
_You're Oh-So Charmin'_  
_But I can't do it_  
_U Womanizer_

_Boy don't try to front I (I) know just (just) what you are (are are)_  
_Boy don't try to front I (I) know just (just) what you are (are are)_

_You Say I'm Crazy_  
_I got You Crazy_  
_You're nothing but_  
_A Womanizer_

_Daddy-O_  
_You got the swagger of champion_  
_Too bad for you_  
_Just can't find the right companion_  
_I guess when you have one too many, makes it hard_  
_It could be easy_  
_Who you are, that's who you are, baby_

_Lollipop_  
_Must mistake me you're a sucker_  
_To think that I_  
_Would be a victim not another_  
_Say it, play it how you wanna_  
_But no way I'm ever gonna fall for you, never you, baby_

_Womanizer_  
_Woman-Womanizer_  
_You're a womanizer_  
_Oh Womanizer_  
_Oh You're a Womanizer Baby_

_You, You You Are_  
_You, You You Are_  
_Womanizer, Womanizer, Womanizer_

_Boy don't try to front I (I) know just (just) what you are (are are)_  
_Boy don't try to front I (I) know just (just) what you are (are are)_

_You Got Me Goin'_  
_You're Oh-So Charmin'_  
_But I can't do it_  
_U Womanizer_

_Boy don't try to front I (I) know just (just) what you are (are are)_  
_Boy don't try to front I (I) know just (just) what you are (are are)_

_You Say I'm Crazy_  
_I got You Crazy_  
_You're nothing but_  
_A Womanizer_

_Maybe if we both lived in different worlds_  
_It would be all good, and maybe I could be ya girl_  
_But I can't 'cause we don't_  
_You..._

_Womanizer_  
_Woman-Womanizer_  
_You're a womanizer_  
_Oh Womanizer_  
_Oh You're a Womanizer Baby_

_You, You You Are_  
_You, You You Are_  
_Womanizer, Womanizer, Womanizer_

_Boy don't try to front I (I) know just (just) what you are (are are)_  
_Boy don't try to front I (I) know just (just) what you are (are are)_

_You Got Me Goin'_  
_You're Oh-So Charmin'_  
_But I can't do it_  
_U Womanizer_

_Boy don't try to front I (I) know just (just) what you are (are are)_  
_Boy don't try to front I (I) know just (just) what you are (are are)_

_You Say I'm Crazy_  
_I got You Crazy_  
_You're nothing but_  
_A Womanizer_

_Boy don't try to front I (I) know just (just) what you are (are are)_  
_Boy don't try to front I (I) know just (just) what you are (are are)_

_Womanizer_  
_Woman-Womanizer_  
_You're a womanizer_  
_Oh Womanizer_  
_Oh You're a Womanizer Baby!_

Mikan couldn't help whooping into the microphone once she had done, and also couldn't help pulling her neatly tied hair out; she got hold of the hair tie, gently pulled it out, and with that, she flinged the hair band into the crowd. Her face was glowing with happiness, and with that, she gave a curtsey and said in the microphone, "Thank you, and have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!"

_It's over_.

Those were the two words that rang through Mikan's head, as she turned her heels around to walk off the stage.

_It's over. No more dieting, no more practicing this song, no more frigging crunches—it's over._

She screamed in excitement once she had reached her friends, who were now kissing her cheek and pulling her into a tight, tight hug. "I'm sorry, but I think you being nervous was all bull! You should have _seen _you, Mikan! You were like a real popstar! Confidence and happiness was flowing out of your aura!" Permy commented, as she ruffled Mikan's long espresso hair, "Oh and by the way, I loved what you did at the end with your hairband—the crowd went _wild_."

"Seriously honey, you had _nothing _to worry about!" Anna added, and Nonoko nodded, "It was phenomenal!"

At last, Hotaru spoke, in a monotone drawling way, "You'll be glad to know I'm not disowning you as a best friend—you did good, Mikan."

The girls laughed at this, and then Mikan let out a sigh of happiness, "Thanks you guys! I'm just so glad it's over. Over and dealt with."

"_And _I can tell you're glad that your performance went so well, eh, Mikan?" Permy cheekily said, as she nudged Mikan in the shoulder. Mikan pouted, but then she cracked up laughing, and with a smile plastered to her face, replied, "Fine, maybe that too!" The girls resumed in laughing, but a bored sharp voice cut through them like a knife slicing through an apple.

"Polka."

One word. After that one word, the laughing died, and the girls all looked back to see Natsume Hyuuga, standing lazily, as he looked down at them.

Mikan gave a hollow laugh, "Oh no no no you don't! You are _not _ruining this moment—this _night _for me! Go away, Hyuuga!"

Natsume looked at Hotaru for a moment and drawled, "Again, I'll be borrowing her for a minute or two." And with that, and before anybody could protest or do anything, Natsume swiftly snatched Mikan away from her friends, only to drag her to a deserted corner. Not easily though—the screaming, and resisting Mikan made it hard for Natsume, but his muscles weren't toned for nothing—he was damn well strong. Natsume forced her to sit down on one of the plastic chair that was put there, and he fell on the chair beside it; only to drape his arm on the back of it, and look intensely at Mikan.

"What do you want—"

"Only a minute. That's all I need." Natsume interrupted in a gravelly voice. Mikan was taken aback by the roughness in his voice, and stood still in her seat. _Maybe, _she thought, _writing a mean song about him was going a bit too far . . . _She bit her lip before she stammered, "W-What do you want?"

"You have some balls to write another song about me, Polka."

Mikan scoffed, "_You're _the one with the balls!" Natsume cocked an eyebrow at her with amusement dancing in his eyes, and that's when Mikan realized what she had said, and quickly added, "Th-That's _not _what I meant! I mean, you had the _nerve_ to write a song about my boyfriend—we're equal now! You write a song about Ryo, I write about what I think of you—"

"You're crazy."

Mikan threw her head back and laughed, "_I got you crazy._" She quoted from her song rather smoothly.

Natsume rolled his neck, "Yeah, I noticed that."

Mikan sighed at his laconic ways, and said, "Hyuuga, I'm sorry, but now you know what I think about you, can you . . . you know, give up on me. You're—sorry for being blunt—a pain in the arse."

Natsume's eyes looked hollow, but then he raised his eyebrows, "You say you know what I am—a womanizer, eh? Well," he picked a cigarette from his pocket along with a lighter, "you don't. You have _no _idea what I am." He continued fiercely before he easily placed the cigarette between his lips, and lifted the lighter to his lips, but then Mikan gasped incredulously, "You smoke? Are you insane?" and with that, she plucked the cigarette from his mouth and snapped the cancer stick in two pieces, "You know what this could do to your lungs? And ever heard of _passive _smoking?"

"I'm not a heavy smoker. I only smoke before—"

"Before playing? Oh my God, you _are _insane! Smoking makes your voice all croaky! You think you'll be able to sing after you smoke?"

Natsume shrugged, but then a smirk lit his face, "You sound almost like my aunt."

Mikan shrieked in disbelief, "What next? First you said I talk like your deceased Grandmother, then your aunt, and know what? Your dog?"

"Well, you do yap like a dog—"

"Whatever!" Mikan sharply interrupted, as she put her hand up to stop him insulting her. "Hyuuga," she said in a clipped tone, "you wanted to say something to me?"

Natsume, who still seemed pissed about the fact that his fag had been taken away from him let out a bottled breath before he replied, "I just wanted to ask you something."

"Fire away. Go, ask and get it over and done with it—"

"I quote, '_Maybe if we both lived in different worlds it would be all good, and maybe I could be your girl But I can't 'cause we don't . . .'" _Natsume drawled rather fluently, _"_What the hell is that supposed to mean, eh, Polka? Does that mean you _do _want to be my girl, but is a certain somebody, more like a whole group of girls, are holding you back?"

Mikan blinked, and then laughed, "You're barking up the wrong tree, love—"

"Then why'd you write it? The other bits of your songs sounded truthful, so are you telling me that only that stanza is the only stanza written by lies?"

"What are you trying to say, Hyuuga?"

"I'm _asking _why you wrote that verse."

Mikan snorted, "What _are _you? An interviewer from the Tokyo Times?" she let out an annoyed breath before she snapped, "There is _no reason _why I wrote that verse! I just wrote it for the sake of it, okay? It sounded nice, and I needed a mini bridge like that!" Mikan's eyes were brimming with the truth; even Natsume could see that now.

Natsume sucked the inside of his cheeks before he replied, "Fine." He stood up from his seat, "But a little advice from me: make sure your songs are true.

"Like you can talk, Hyuuga! Your previous song wasn't true; Ryo doesn't look gay—"

"Well, that's your opinion." Natsume easily answered. "I'm up next—look out for me, won't you?" Mikan blinked. How could he be so calm when he was up next? Shouldn't he be worrying his ass off with his band mates? Speaking of band mates, where the hell were they? Natsume was now striding away from her, but then he turned around with a smirk to his face, "This time, my song isn't dedicated to you, Polka."

"I wasn't expecting it to be!" Mikan called back angrily.

"You owe me a cigarette."

"Break a leg!" Mikan wretchedly shouted after him, and with that, Natsume walked away, not looking back at Mikan who was groaning and shrieking with annoyance and frustration. "That insolent little bastard!" and with that, she let out a bottled up breath, sharply sprung out from her seat, and angrily stalked off, desperate to find her friends. She found them in a matter of seconds, and as soon as she opened her mouth to say something, she was bombarded with questions.

"Are you okay?"

"What did he say?"

"What did he _do_?"

"Did he rape you?"

Mikan pushed her long hair back, before she tiredly replied, "I'm fine. Just so pissed—he didn't do anything to me but drag me to this chair which he made me sit on so he could talk to me."

Hotaru narrowed her eyes suspiciously, "About what?"

"About my song." Mikan replied, "He was convinced that one of the verses had like . . . a hidden meaning to it or something."

Permy pursed her lips, "Yeah, when I was dating him he told me that he hated songs with no meaning. I remember that."

"Thank God you're alright though! We were all mighty worried, weren't we girls?"

Nonoko nodded in agreement to her sister, "Mikan, just pretend he never came to see you, 'kay? Think how happy you were before all this happened!"

Mikan nodded, but then she incredulously gasped, "Did you know he _smoked?_"

Permy gave Mikan a weak smile before she replied, "Mikan, he _is _seventeen. Loads of boys his age do smoke, get high and get laid." The girls laughed at that, but Permy firmly added, "What? It's true though!"

"_Ladies and gentleman, the moment you've all been waiting for! POLICE," _wailed the voice of Mr. Narumi all of a sudden, "_TAKE POSITIONS. THE CROWD IS ABOUT TO GO WILD! Girls and boys, this is the biggest performers in the Academy, please welcome _Crimson Abyss!"

The girls were convinced that they were definitely deaf now. "Oh my frigging God!" Anna murmured out as she shut her ears tightly. The crowd was roaring, screaming, whooping, cheering, _crying_, clapping and jumping up and down like never before. The crowd now looked like a sea of banners instead of a sea of people; banners which read things like, CRIMSON ABYSS DEFINES MY LIFE ITSELF. I WOULD DIE WITHOUT THEM!

"This is crazy!" Mikan managed to scream over the crowd. Her friends _just _managed to hear her, and nodded vigorously in agreement.

"This is Crimson Abyss," came the low and husky voice of Natsume, "the song we are about to give you is dedicated to my ex-girlfriends along with Ruka's exes. Enjoy getting high at Christmas."

The crowd roared.

And without hesitation, the music started.

_Don't Trust Me_

_3OH!3_

_Black dress with the tights underneath,_  
_I got the breath of the last cigarette on my teeth,_  
_And shes an actress,_  
_But she ain't got no need._  
_Shes got money from her parents in a trust fund back east._

_T-t-t-tongues always pressed to your cheeks,_  
_While my tongue is on the inside of some other girls teeth,_  
_T-tell your boyfriend if he says hes got beef,_  
_That I'm a vegetarian and I ain't fucking scared of him._

_She wants to touch me (Woah),_  
_She wants to love me (Woah),_  
_She'll never leave me (Woah, woah, oh, oh),_

_Don't trust a ho,_  
_Never trust a ho,_  
_Won't trust a ho,_  
_Cos the ho won't trust me_

_She wants to touch me (Woah),_  
_She wants to love me (Woah),_  
_She'll never leave me (Woah, woah, oh, oh),_

_Don't trust a ho,_  
_Never trust a ho,_  
_Won't trust a ho,_  
_Cos the ho won't trust me_

_X's on the back of your hands,_  
_Wash them in the bathroom to drink like the bands._  
_And your setlist,_  
_You stole off the stage,_  
_Had red and purple lipstick all over the page._

_B-b-b-bruises cover your arms,_  
_Shaking in the fingers with the bottle in your palm._  
_And the best is (best is),_  
_No one knows who you are,_  
_Just another girl alone at the bar._

_She wants to touch me (Woah),_  
_She wants to love me (Woah),_  
_She'll never leave me (Woah, woah, oh, oh),_

_Don't trust a ho,_  
_Never trust a ho,_  
_Won't trust a ho,_  
_Cos the ho won't trust me_

_She wants to touch me (Woah),_  
_She wants to love me (Woah),_  
_She'll never leave me (Woah, woah, oh, oh),_

_Don't trust a ho,_  
_Never trust a ho,_  
_Won't trust a ho,_  
_Cos the ho won't trust me_

_Shush girl shut your lips,_  
_Do the Helen Keller and talk with your hips._  
_I said, Shush girl shut your lips,_  
_Do the Helen Keller and talk with your hips._  
_I said, Shush girl shut your lips,_  
_Do the Helen Keller and talk with your hips._

_She wants to touch me (Woah),_  
_She wants to love me (Woah),_  
_She'll never leave me (Woah, woah, oh, oh),_

_Don't trust a ho,_  
_Never trust a ho,_  
_Won't trust a ho,_  
_Cos the ho won't trust me_

_She wants to touch me (Woah),_  
_She wants to love me (Woah),_  
_She'll never leave me (Woah, woah, oh, oh),_

_Don't trust a ho,_  
_Never trust a ho,_  
_Won't trust a ho,_  
_Cos the ho won't trust me!_

The crowd was absolutely rabid.

All Mikan could do was gape and once the last note had died, and the crowd was screaming their hearts out, she yelled to her friends, "Is he joking? Is he _fucking _joking? He told me that this wasn't going to be a legend song—that song was fucking incredible! And meaningless? It was _embedded_ with meaning, that arsehole!"

"Shouda, you were right." rang the voice of Hotaru, "You said a year ago, Hyuuga was dating Luna. This song was probably mainly written for her."

Permy looked downright furious, and after her nose flared she said in a scathing voice, "That song was dedicated to _all_ his ex-girlfriends, you heard him. Don't trust a hoe? Is he calling us a hoe? Hoe means prostitute—"

"Did you hear that song?" came the high-pitched screech from Luna Koizumi in the background, "That song Natsume Hyuuga just sang was dedicated to me!"

Anna rolled her eyes, "What a butter brain."

Nonoko laughed, "Too right you are."

Mikan laughed, and she inhaled a deep breath. There was no doubt that Natsume's performance just now was incredible—it was professional. The way he moved his hips to the beat, the way he held the microphone to make it look like he had a relationship with it; the whole thing made shivers run up her spine. She wasn't sure about anybody else, but she sure as hell felt seduced by it, as much as she hated to admit it. And there was something about what Natsume had said earlier that made her feel uneasy. That hollow look in Natsume's eyes when he said something about her saying that he was a womanizer, it freaked her out.

Most of all, why did she get the feeling that Natsume Hyuuga was actually . . . unhappy?

**0**

The notorious rapper, Mochu, did the last performance. Mikan had never seen anything like it before, normally rap didn't make sense to her, it was fast, and it all sounded like whining to her. But Mochu's beat was distinctive, addictive and most definitely seducing.

Mikan was fascinated by (the balding) Mochu.

"_And that girls and boys was our _last _performance of the night!" _Mr. Narumi's voice rang, only to be followed by a whole echo of booing from the crowd. "_Now, now, I don't want it to be over either—this has been a most spectacular Chistmas Eve! Absolutely spiffing! Now, I shall pass the microphone to our spookiest—ahaha, sorry!—judge, Mr. Jinno!"_

"_Thank you, Narumi . . ._" came the aggravated voice of Mr. Jinno before he cleared his voice and continued, "_Well done performers, each of you gave very different, yet all equally great performances tonight. I will like to announce now that in the Third Round, only twenty of you will be performing—"_

The backstage was now murmuring with conversation, "_Twenty_? Is he joking? That's crazy!"

"—_which will mean twenty of you shall be eliminated tonight._"

"Crap." Mikan murmured, as she held onto Hotaru and Permy's hand tightly.

"_We shall now like to call out the names of the twenty of you who are being chosen to proceed onto the Third Round. I shall now read all of your names, as us judges have already come to the final decision. If I call your name, please come to the stage."_

"What? I don't get it—"

"Anna, it basically means that if our name isn't called out by Jinno, we aren't going to be in to Third Round." Nonoko shakily replied.

Anna blanched, "Holy shit!"

And with that, all five girls held onto each other tightly, with the exception of Hotaru, who was trying to get her murmuring friends to shut up so she could hear greasy Jinno's voice . . .

"_Please welcome to the stage with a warm welcome, _Misaki Harada, Andrea Lamborghini, Rui Hanzawa, Anna and Nonoko, Andou Tsubasa, Sumire Shouda, the band English Banana's, Hotaru Imai, the group Bunny Love and also the group Westside Guys, Youichi Hijiri, Naoki Tajimara, Erica Stone, Saya Hajimaru, Rose Denmai, Lulu Yamakawa, Mikan Sakura, Crimson Abyss, Mimi Tanaka and Mochu!"

One by one, each contestant, or each band slash group went on stage. But not until Mikan's name was called did the rest of them leave for the stage. And once her name was called, all girls roared and squealed with excitement, while chanting, "We got in!"

Even Hotaru gave a "Whoop." Even though it was dead unenthusiastic.

All five girls came on stage, with their arms linked, and they all bowed together at the cheering crowd, before they went to line up in the line of successful contestants slash groups slash bands.

"Can't believe this!" Mikan squealed, as her hands tightened around Hotaru's, "We are going to be in the Third Round! We _all _got in!"

Hotaru's eyes were twinkling with happiness, but then she said in a monotone voice that did not suit her eyes, "I think it's a bit too early to celebrate." Mikan furrowed her eyebrows and asked, "What do you mean, Hotaru?"

"_Well done performers!" _Mr. Prince's voice loudly bellowed in the microphone, causing Mikan to look back up again, into the crowd and the sitting judges. "_Marvelous! Now, unlike last time, Ms. Serina would like to announce to you all _now _what the next genre for the Third Round is_."

Mikan froze.

So that's what Hotaru meant.

The crowd started to murmur with excitement, as the successful contestants started to curiously look at the beautiful blonde Ms. Serina.

"_The next genre for the next round is . . ." _There was a breathless pause, _"dance._"

Immediately, the crowd started to buzz loudly with conversation. As did the contestants on the stage.

"Dance?" Permy repeated, her mouth ajar, "Dance?"

Mikan gulped, "What's so bad about dance—"

"Nothing is bad about Dance, Mikan! Dance is _incredible! _Oh my _Lord _we are so lucky! I'm just wondering why the fuck they didn't give us Dance before Seduction—Dance is _so _easy!" Permy started to squeal, as she blew a kiss in the direction of the sky, "Thank you _God!_"

Mikan blinked, "Really? Dance is easy?"

Anna and Nonoko were squealing in happiness before they replied, "Course it is! Country music screams dancing!"

Mikan turned to Hotaru, who had money signs in her eyes, "Dance. That is the most beautiful thing I have heard the whole of tonight."

Mikan laughed nervously before she asked Hotaru, "Will _I _be able to write a Dance Song easily, Hotaru?" her voice was uncertain. But she immediately felt stupid when Hotaru looked at her with her eyebrows raised and replied, "Of course you idiot! It'll be easy for you all the way—your song today, it made the crowd jump up and down, didn't it?"

Mikan gaped, "My song today was dancey?"

Hotaru nodded, "You hit two birds with one stone today, Mikan."

Mikan immediately smiled, and then she started to whoop along with the crowd and her fellow contestants. "Dance baby, dance baby dance!" she loudly chanted excitedly.

"_Contestants, though, we would like to add something."_

Mikan's blood froze. Ms. Serina didn't sound look happy.

"_In the next round, we have already decided that ten of your shall be eliminated, only leaving ten of you to go on to the Fourth Round. Just because the genre is simple, please do not get over-confident. We are expecting high-standards for the next round—slacking piece in the next round will surely be eliminated."_

Mikan gulped.

Tough.

The crowds and contestant saw Ms. Serina sit back down, and hand the microphone back to Mr. Prince, who looked a bit scared himself. "_. . . Thank you, Ms. Serina._" He cleared his voice before he said in a jolly tone, "_Enjoy your Chritmas, students! Good night and see you in the Third Round!"_

A loud and echoing cheer followed.

And the big spotlight that shone on the stage suddenly clicked off, leaving the contestants to stand on the dark stage, waiting for the curtain to fall to conceal them.

"Dance!" Luna Koizumi loudly said, as the curtains of the stage started to descend. "Dance—Bunnies, we are the queens of dance! We are soo going to get in the Fourth Round!"

Permy sighed as she rolled her eyes in the direction of the blonde who was prancing around, while she muttered, "Airhead." The curtains were now completely down, and that's when the light on the stage flickered on. Mikan felt a wave of relief hit her as she sighed; she never did like the dark. From the other side of the curtain, the contestants could still hear the crowd's cheers and the buzz of gossip.

"Do you suppose we can go now?" came a low voice. Mikan turned around to see who had said it, and her eyebrows rose when she saw a boy with tanned skin, green eyes and dark brown hair.

Mikan leaned over to Anna, "Whose that guy?"

"Mmm? . . . Oh that's Andrea Lamborghini. Hot, eh? He was number, I think, four on the hot list of the Academy."

Mikan smiled, "He's gorgeous!"

"_He_," Permy whispered, "is Italian. Muy guapo—"

"That's Spanish." Hotaru curtly interrupted, "Molto bello is probably what you're looking for."

"Naaaah," a girl with flaming red hair answered the Italian boy as she chuckled, "I say good old Mr. Prince should be coming soon—let's wait for him, eh?"

Mikan recognized the girl who just spoke to be the first contestant of tonight's performance . . . What was her name? Harada Miki? Or was it, Maki? Or was it—

"Misaki, let's _go!_" A boy with black hair and deep blue eyes moaned. Mikan inspected him; this boy was good looking too—how could she have never recognized these beautiful people went to her school? Was she blind? Her eyebrows rose when she saw he had a star tattooed under his left eye—ooh, very macho. "C'mon, girl, I know you want to wish Mr. Prince a Merry Christmas and all that, but let's _go! _Andrea, Rui, Youichi, support me! Onyx and Megumi are waiting in the pub for us—"

"But that's so rude to just leave!" Misaki pouted, and then she turned on her heels to look at the rest of the contestants, "Is anybody leaving yet?" without waiting for an answer, she turned back to look at the guy with the star tattooed on his cheek, "See, Andou? Nobody is leaving, so you can wait too!"

_Ahhh_, Mikan thought, _so that's Andou Tsubasa._

She looked at the other three boys who stood beside Andou Tsubasa. One, as Anna had told her, was Andrea Lamborghini. Misaki Harada mentioned the names, Rui and Youichi. . . could they possibly be Hanazawa Rui and Youichi Hijiri?

"We're leaving." A bored and lazy voice announced. Mikan didn't even have to look back to know who said that; anybody would know once they heard the masculinity and huskiness of his voice. Nevertheless, Mikan turned around, to see the band Crimson Abyss getting ready to leave. Koko smiled, "Hey, Harada, tell Mr. Prince I love him okay? And tell him to have a whooping Christmas!"

"From me too!" Kitsune-me laughed.

Ruka Nogi just rolled his eyes at his friends, before he sent an apologetic look to Misaki and her cluster of friends. But Misaki just laughed and replied, "Will do chaps!"

"Misaki, if that Hyuuga and his band mates are leaving, then so can we! They're seventeen for crying out loud—we are eighteen!"

The boy who Mikan believed to be Hanazawa Rui sighed, "Actually, Youichi is seventeen like them you do know, Tsubasa."

"Ahh, whatever Rui!"

Mikan couldn't help inwardly smile. These people were the type of people she liked: weird wackos. But then she felt her smile fade away when she saw Natsume Hyuuga advancing towards her. "Oh fantastic." She sarcastically murmured, but once Natsume had reached her, she put the fakest smile to her face and said, "Yes? You want something?"

"Can't even wish you a Merry Christmas, can I?"

The contestants, who had been talking to one another abruptly stopped, only to look and to hear what was going on between Mikan Sakura and Natsume Hyuuga. Mikan, feeling eyes bore into the back of her head, felt a bit nervous. She wasn't an idiot—she could tell, _feel_ the contestants were staring at her and Natsume. She cleared her voice before she frostily said, "Merry Christmas Hyuuga."

Natsume grinned, "Merry Christmas." And with that, he neared her, and bent down so he could murmur into Mikan's ear, "Expect to see more of me next year."

Mikan felt shivers run up her spine, but she didn't give in to them. Instead, she just kept a stony look on her face, as when Natsume backed away from her with a smirk on his lips, she simply just pursed her lips, and watched him walk towards his band mates. "Let's go." He murmured; and with that, Koko and Kitsune-me started to sing a good ol' Christmas song, as Ruka and Natsume walked behind them, off the stage.

"What did he whisper?" Permy demanded.

"I could have sworn he nibbled your ear!" Anna exclaimed. "He didn't did he?"

Mikan laughed a bit before she replied, "No he didn't Anna, rest assured." She looked to her side, and saw that the remaining contestants were still looking at her; that meant everybody except the band Crimson Abyss were gazing at her curiously.

"He said," she quietly whispered, leaning in, so only Hotaru, Permy, Anna and Nonoko could hear, "_Expect to see more of me next year_."

Nonoko snorted, "One word: stalker!"

"Well, well, well, whaddya know!"

Mikan looked up to see Andou Tsubasa and his group of friends advancing to Mikan and her girls. He had a bright smile on his face, and he continued, "Little Miss Sunshine over here has managed to capture the heart of the notorious Natsume Hyuuga!"

"Tsubasa, don't be patronizing!" Misaki snapped, "Don't call her Little Miss Sunshine! You heard Hyuuga call her name—it's Polka!"

Mikan twitched. Permy put her fist in her mouth to stop the laughter from exploding out, and the twins looked down to try hide their laughter. Hotaru, on the other hand, openly snickered. That's when Misaki's eyes widened, "Oh shit—it's not Polka, is it? Haha, I thought it was a weird name—"

"Harada, shut up." Andrea lazily drawled, "Her name is Mikan Sakura. And the twins are called Anna and Nonoko. The one with the curls is called Sumire Shouda. And the last one is called Hotaru Imai."

Misaki looked at her friend with her eyebrows raised, "How you know everybody scares me. A lot."

Mikan laughed, and answered, "Well, he's dead correct. I'm Mikan Sakura, just like he said. Nice to meet you all!"

"Same here, girlie!"

Mikan and her friends and Misaki and her friends chatted for a few minutes. They were talking about general things—where they were all from etc. The conversation was all going fine in Mikan's point of view, until the subject of Natsume Hyuuga arose.

"So, what's going on with you two? Lovers, rivals, haters, or what?"

Mikan pressed her lips together in thought, but Permy answered the question for her, "Well, he was my ex-boyfriend. He dumped me because he was bored of me. And now he wants Mikan. And Mikan doesn't want him."

Misaki blinked, "He dumped you because he was _bored _of you?"

"Pssh, Didn't know he was that bad—hang on!" Tsubasa whirled his head around to Mikan, "Your song tonight, was that dedicated to him?"

"You betcha." Mikan grinned.

Anna laughed, "She spent absolutely forever on it, but she got there in the end."

"And she was fantastic!" Nonoko added, as she nudged Mikan in the ribs. Mikan turned a peachy pink before she laughed, "Aww, shoo, I ain't even tryin' to hear that!"

Misaki laughed out loud, "Now _that _was cute!" She pulled Mikan into a noogie, "I like her! I like them all! Oooh, can we please bring them to the pub tonight? Please, Tsubasa? Rui? Youichi? Andrea?"

Youichi, who had been quiet finally spoke, "No, Harada. They are under aged."

Tsubasa smiled, "I know! What you girls up to on New Year's Eve?"

Hotaru shrugged, "Our plan was to watch TV and eat Chinese food."

"Well, how would you like to come have dinner with us and two other friends of Misaki? Huh, what do you say? Like to spend the last day of 2007 with us at a restaurant?"

Mikan looked at all her friends, and when she saw them give her a nod, whilst their eyes twinkled, she turned to her new friends and answered, "Sounds like a plan to me!"

Misaki whooped before she said, "So, meet you at New Year's Eve, downstairs by the vending machines, okay? At 6:30pm, pronto. We, girls, are going to be partying like animals!" Her eyebrows rose suggestively, and Mikan laughed out loud along with Anna, Nonoko and Permy. Hotaru's corners of her lips were turned up in mirth. Misaki ruffled all their hairs—Permy couldn't help wince—before she sighed and turned to Andou Tsubasa.

"You know what? You're right, who cares about Mr. Prince! Let's go, boys! My Blue Vodka is calling for me from the pub!"

"Yeah baby!" Andou Tsubasa whooped, before he draped his left arm around Misaki, and looked back at Mikan and her friends, "See you guys soon, yeah?" And with that, their little group walked off, only the voices of Misaki and Andou Tsubasa echoing behind.

"That is one hot group!" Permy commented, once they were out of earshot. "All of them—Misaki was beautiful, and all the guys—mama mia!"

"I'll say!" Anna and Nonoko said in unison.

"Some were laconic though." Hotaru murmured.

Mikan laughed out loud, "Like _you _can talk Hotaru!" All girls fell about laughing, but then Mikan excitedly said, "Well, New Year's Eve is all booked up baby! And in some hours, it's going to be Christmas! Ahh, can't wait!"

Permy smirked, "Girls, why don't we go back to our room, eh? Let's give Aoi a ring and pop a bottle of lemondae to celebrate, mmm?"

Anna giggled, "Sounds fabulous!"

"I'm in!" Mikan answered as she threw her left hand up, "Let's not forget the mince pies—there _are _some left right?"

"Course there is!" Nonoko replied, "Anna made more than enough! The would probably last till next Christmas to be honest!"

Hotaru snickered, "I'm not so sure about that. Now that Mikan is off her diet, I wouldn't be surprised to find tomorrow morning that all the mince pies would be gone. And with crumbs on her mouth, she'll tell us it were the mice that ate them all." Mikan pouted as all her friends laughed at her, but when they abruptly stopped, and all looked with their eyes widened behind Mikan, she couldn't help feel uneasy.

Mikan whirled her head around to see what her friends were looking at.

"Oh look what the wind blew in." Mikan mumbled, as she saw Luna Koizumi stand two metres away from her.

"Just because you have friends who are older than you, don't think I'll be any nicer to you next year, Sakura." Luna venomously spat, "You'll see—you and friends will all see! I'll have Natsume in the end, and you'll just be a wreck by the end of it! I swear on it. You're going to regret coming to the Alice Academy, Mikan Sakura. Mark my words."

Luna's blue eyes were brimmed with hatred and disgust.

Mikan couldn't help tremble inside. But outside, she kept a straight façade on, and coolly replied, "Luna, I'm all up for your babyish challenges; do whatever you please. But let me tell you this: I don't win because I'm the strongest, I win because I have something worth fighting for." With that, Mikan turned back to her friends, who looked impressed, all with triumphant smiles on their faces, "C'mon girls, let's go pop that bottle!"

Her friends all cheered, and the five friends all linked arms, and walked away from the enraged Luna Koizumi.

"That," Permy smiled, "was fantastic! And God, I don't mean to sound like a sap, but that was so poetic, Mikan!"

"Perfect way to exit!" Anna commented as she laughed.

"Look on Luna's face when you turned your back on her—I wish I had a video camera!" Nonoko sighed dreamily.

Hotaru, though, had an indifferent look on her face, and said in an almost warning tone, "Next year is going to be rough for you, Mikan. I'll try not attract anymore attention if I were you."

Mikan furrowed her eyebrows, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means," Hotaru carefully said, "2008, I can already see, is going to be a tough year."

Mikan laughed out loud, "Hotaru, don't worry! It'll all be fine by the end of it! Cheer up, Ebenezer—it's Christmas baby!"

Hotaru smiled the slightest, but she inwardly sighed. She didn't know why, but she had a bad, bad feeling erupting in her stomach. Maybe she ate something—she wasn't sure. Her amethyst eyes inspected her best friend.

_That was always your problem Mikan; you were always too optimistic. You always laughed it off . . . but then when things got really bad in 2008, what did you do? You spiraling down into a pit of darkness . . ._

**0**

**End Of Chapter Eleven**

**0**


	14. New Year's And Surprises

**Disclaimer:** Ask me again, and I swear you'll pop one of my veins. Haha, no I don't own Alice Gakuen. Surprised? Thought so.

**0**

**My Happy Ending  
**_**by Little Miss Giggle**_

**0**

**Chapter Twelve: New Year's And Surprises**

**0**

"No, Mikan, wear the rose in your hair! Wavy curls and flowers really go well—think about those Hawaiian girls!" Permy exclaimed, as she eyed Mikan from the mirror. Permy was currently straightening her hair into a river of luscious shiny black hair and seemed somewhat annoyed that she had been interrupted by Mikan's whining.

"You think it'll go with the dress? You really do?" Mikan questioned, as she twirled in her own mirror. Mikan was wearing a simple white dress that stopped just before her knee, topped with a pair of red heels.

Permy sighed, "Mikan. Obviously red and white go together, and with those shoes—come on, it's obvious! Now get that damn red rose clip back in your hair, and put some bold red lipstick on!"

Mikan pouted before she giggled, "Alright, alright." Then she went over to Permy's makeup bag and plucked out her red lipstick before she clipped her rose back in her hair.

"Hey, Perms! D'ya think I should wear my boots, or not tonight?" Anna called from the living room.

Permy put her hair straightner down before she asked, "Why does everybody need my advice? It's not like I'm a fashion Guru or anything—"

"Seriously, you are." Mikan interjected, and when Permy shot her a glare, Mikan playfully wiggled her tongue out at her friend, which earned the girls to titter.

Christmas was six days ago now; today was the 31st of December; the last day of 2007. Christmas was a memorable day—the girls, especially Mikan, ate so much delicious Christmas food, and played numerous Christmas games, and they also made a "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" music video on Hotaru's Macbook. It went down well; Permy and Hotaru were playing the instruments, as Nonoko strummed the guitar whilst Anna, Aoi and Mikan loudly sang the words. It wasn't long till they got a knock on the door, telling the girls to shut up. Permy immediately blamed Aoi's singing for the complaints—which resulted in a fun girlie pillow fight.

And now, the girls were spending their last day of 2007 with their new older friends, Tsubasa's group. The plan was to meet them at 6:30pm, pronto, by the vending machine downstairs, to be followed by to go eat at an Italian restaurant.

And being the last day of 2007 and since they were going to a nice posh restaurant, the girls wanted to look their best.

Who could blame them? Girls like to pamper themselves, eh?

"Okay fine. Anna don't wear boots with that dress, you're not Taylor Swift. Wear . . . I dunno, have a pair of pumps? Silver, hopefully?" Permy suggested, and her face lit up into a smug grin when she saw Anna take her advice.

"2007 has gone by so quickly . . ." Aoi murmured, as she gently brushed her short yet thick black hair. "It's so scary how fast it's gone by, huh?"

"Totally!" Nonoko agreed, as she carefully applied tinted moisturizer to her face. "Can't believe we are all sixteen—hell, it's legal for us to have sex!"

"Mikan's not sixteen yet." Hotaru pointed out, as she blew her nails, which were still wet from her midnight blue nail polish. Immediately, the other girls whipped their heads back to Mikan, who nervously looked back at all of her friends.

"You're still fifteen?" Permy gasped.

"What? You mean to say that I'm the youngest one here?" Mikan incredulously demanded. "Even you, Aoi, you're sixteen?"

"My birthday is in June!" Aoi replied, laughing.

Mikan looked at Permy, who replied, "Born in May, babe."

She hopefully turned to Anna and Nonoko, who replied in unison, "We were born in March!"

"And Hotaru's born in October . . ." Mikan murmured to herself, before she gasped herself, and slapped her cheeks in process, "Oh my God, I _am _the youngest one here!"

The girls laughed, except for Hotaru who rolled her eyes and muttered something about Mikan being an idiot. Mikan still looked shocked when Anna sweetly said, "Well, think this way Mikan, you'll be the last one to get wrinkles and the last one to die between us!"

Permy shuddered, "And cellulite. Gross."

Mikan laughed slightly before she replied, "I would hate to be the last one who dies! I don't want to live without you guys—it would _suck_."

"When _is _your birthday, Mikan?" Aoi asked.

Then, a devilish grin spread across Mikan's face, but before she could reply, a vibrating tune interrupted. "That's my mobile!" Mikan exclaimed before she quickly ran to her room, in her heels, to her bedside table. She lunged for her phone, and quickly flipped it open only to put the cold surface of her phone by her ear.

"Hello?"

"_Mikan, dearest? Guess who!"_

Mikan gasped, "Mum?"

A gentle laugh was heard from the other line, and her mother's voice replied, _"Merry Christmas, Mikan! Send my wishes to Hotaru too! How is my darling baby daughter?"_

Mikan smiled, "Merry Christmas to you too! I'm fine, how are you?"

Mikan heard her mother groan before she answered _"Could be better. Those damn neighbours have been driving us insane with stories about their child, you know, the one who got into Oxford. They are such snobs." _Mikan laughed before he mother continued, _"But you, my baby have just made my night! Congratulations, you got into the Third Round—the next round is Dance, right? What do you plan to do? Tell me everything!"_

"Well, you see—hold it!" Mikan furrowed her eyebrows, "Mum, how do _you _know about that? How do _you _know about the Music Competition? I'm more than sure I haven't told you—"

"_No, you never mentioned it. Your father and I were really upset you didn't!"_

Mikan sheepishly smiled, "Aaahhh, sorry 'bout that—"

"_Don't apologize, especially when it's your birthday tomorrow! Oooh, what do you want for your present, by the way? Ryo has been suggesting we send you over some cake, but I want to give you so much more because as of tomorrow you'll be sixteen! Sweet sixteen, my darling! Ryo also suggested we send you condoms, but you aren't think about losing it yet, are you?"_

"No. Tell Ryo to stuff it." She heard her mum laugh, so she added, "No seriously mum, that son of yours needs a spanking!" But then she asked, "How did you know about the Music Competition then? Did Hotaru tell you—"

"_Oh no my dear! It's all over the internet!"_

"Oh—wait, what?"

"_Darling, your school is famous! Ryo found it on the internet last night on how the Alice Academy was having their first ever Music Competition this year! And he found your name on the list of surviving contestants—congratulate Hotaru for me too, alright?"_

"Yeah, of course mum—"

"_RYO! What are you doing with the chicken!" _Mikan couldn't help smile at the thought of her brother getting told off by her mum—it was funny how immature she still was. _"Oh Mikan dear, I'm so sorry, can I call you tomorrow? Your brother just put the raw chicken in the microwave—he's hopeless at cooking!"_

So was Mikan. The whole of the Sakura family apart from Yuka were hopeless cooks. Mikan laughed, "Sure, I'll speak to you tomorrow, okay, mum?"

"_Tomorrow it is! Have a good last night of 2007!"_

"You too. Love you!"

"_Love you too—RYO! NO!"_

_Bzzt._

Mikan couldn't help laughing before she put her phone back down on her bedside table. She missed her mother, and her father, even her brother Ryo. Then it struck her—tomorrow would be her first birthday she wasn't spending with her family. She blinked at the thought for a bit, but then she gasped and loudly wailed, "Guys!"

With her heels clanking on the floor, she entered the living room once more, to see her friends still dolling themselves up.

"Was it your mama?" Anna asked.

Mikan nodded before she said, "You guys, you have to listen to me! We are on the _internet!_"

There was a pause before the girls gasped, "_What?_" And Permy added after she dropped her lipgloss, "Like on Youtube?"

"No, Perms, not on Youtube, although that would also be kind of cool—my brother, Ryo, found us on the internet—apparently it's all over the internet how the Alice Academy is having their first Music Competition—" Before Mikan could say anymore, Hotaru had whipped her Macbook out, and was already on Google. "Hey, babe, I was still talking!" Mikan babyishly whined, only to be ignored by Hotaru and laughed at by the others.

The girls then crowding around Hotaru and her laptop, and saw her type in, _Alice Academy Music Competition._

The girls felt their jaws drop when they saw how many results had come out:

The Alice Academy Music Competition

Held by Headmaster Ted Prince, the famous school of music, the Alice Academy, situated in Tokyo, is planning to have their first ever Music Competition. The winner of the competition would win money and a record deal …

Buy Tickets For The Alice Academy Music Competition Finals!

For cheap prices try get seats to the Final Round of the Alice Academy Music Competition to be held in Tokyo Dome! Rumoured the famous band, Crimson Abyss to perform in the finals …

"Click the first one!" Aoi suggested, and Hotaru gave her a quick nod, before she double clicked on the first hyperlink. The page took a few seconds to load, but once it did, the girls fell silent, and carefully read what was on the page . . .

The Alice Academy Music Competition

Held by Headmaster Ted Prince, the famous school of music, the Alice Academy, situated in Tokyo, is planning to have their first ever Music Competition. The winner of the competition would win money and maybe even a record deal depending on their performance in the Final Round. The date of the Final Round is said to be on the 30th of June, 2008, and it has been confirmed that the Final Round will take place in Tokyo Dome Stadium. It has also been confirmed by Headmaster Prince that only five singers/bands/groups/musicians will take part in the Final Round of the Music Competition. Tickets to the Final Round, are already on sale, if you would like one, please click here_._ Please note that tickets are selling fast as famous boy-band, Crimson Abyss and famous rapper, Mochu has been rumoured to be playing in the Final Round. And please also note that before the five lucky contestants perform, there will be three opening acts, since the contestants from the Alice Academy, will only be singing one song each.

_Latest Updates On The Music Competition_: Only **twenty **contestants left in the Competition! Congratulations to the remaining contestants, best of luck for the future! The Third Round has been decided to have the genre of Dance! Here are the twenty proud contestants left:

Misaki Harada  
Andrea Lamborghini  
Rui Hanazawa  
Anna and Nonoko  
Andou Tsubasa  
Sumire Shouda  
English Banana's  
Hotaru Imai  
Bunny Love  
Westside Guys  
Youichi Hijiri  
Naoki Tajimara  
Erica Stone  
Saya Hajimaru  
Rose Denmai  
Lulu Yamakawa  
Mikan Sakura  
Crimson Abyss  
Mimi Tanaka  
Mochu

Keep an eye out for all these people, as by next year, one of them might be the next big celebrity!

"Oh my God!" Mikan breathlessly squealed, "Ryo was right! . . . Bloody hell, one of us might become the next big celeb!"

"Except me." Aoi said before she added, "But then one of you guys can mention my name in an interview, eh?"

"Wait," Anna said as she crinkled her nose, "you know were it says, 'Please note that tickets are selling fast as famous boy-band, Crimson Abyss and famous rapper, Mochu has been rumoured to be playing in the Final Round.' Does that mean that two of the spots for the Final Round have been reserved by them?"

"Naah, it's just a rumour!" Nonoko assured, as she nudged her twin.

"Oh my _God_," Permy gasped, "the final contestants get to perform in the Tokyo Dome?"

"Yeah, Mr. Jinno, my teacher, mentioned that." Hotaru answered, as she closed her laptop.

Permy shrieked, "And nobody told _me_? Ay ya ya girls, you might not know what the Tokyo Dome is because you haven't lived in Tokyo for your whole life, but girls! The Tokyo Dome can hold about 40,000 people! Forty-_thousand!"_

Mikan's jaw dropped, "Y-You mean the last contestants are going to perform in front of forty thousand people? Random people?"

Aoi then furrowed her eyebrow, "Hey, yeah, I remember Mr. Mouri telling us about this. He did say that, as well as the Academy students, people from outside the Academy were going to come watch the Final Round too!"

"Sweet nibblets, Anna! Forty thousand!" Nonoko whistled happily, "I hope we get to the Final Round!"

"Aoi," Hotaru said as she tilted her head, "I thought your family was from Tokyo."

Aoi shook her head, "No, my family is actually from Sapporo."

"Really? Wow, I've always imagined you and your brother to be brought up in Tokyo!" Anna exclaimed, but Permy shook her head and said, "Natsume came to the Academy when he was fifteen actually. I remember that day. Still as clear as crystal . . . his arrival was really sudden though—the whole of the band members of Crimson Abyss are apparently from Sapporo, and they joined the Academy mid-term, which is really rare! Hey, Aoi, didn't he get scouted by the Academy because of his song, _What I've Done_, or something like that?"

Aoi pursed her lips, ". . . Yeah . . . something like that . . ." her voice was small and meek. For a fraction of a second, Aoi looked as if she was going to cry. Her eyes were glazed, and her lips were trembling; she looked so fragile and vulnerable.

"Hey, sweetie, you okay?" Mikan asked, as she put her small and warm hand on Aoi's shoulder. Aoi blinked before she looked into Mikan's hazel eyes, "O-Of course! I'm—I'm just going to go to the toilet. I need to . . . yeah, pee." And with that, little Aoi Hyuuga stumbled off to the toilets. The rest of the girls silently watched her go into the toilet, and they could have sworn they heard a sob when the door had closed. But none of them dared to say anything about it.

"Hey, Shouda, do you know when Aoi came to the Academy?" Hotaru asked.

"I think the two years ago. Whilst Natsume enrolled to the Academy mid-term, Aoi actually started at the beginning of the following year, I think . . ."

Hotaru nodded, and narrowed her eyes at the door of the toilet. She could feel her brain whizzing, and she could feel it in her bones. The Hyuuga Family definitely had something they were hiding—she was sure of it. Did she have any idea? No. She was clueless for once in her life. But not for long, she promised.

**0**

When Aoi Hyuuga had come out of the toilet, she had a bright smile on her face, and the vulnerable and teary look on her face she had possessed a few seconds ago had vanished. She acted like nothing had happened, and the girls played along; they didn't want their friend to be upset on New Year's Eve after all. And what kind of friend would you be to pressure something out of somebody that clearly does not want to go into it?

If that makes any sense at all.

"I can't walk in these!" Mikan complained as she held onto Hotaru's arm, as the girls walked down the stairs.

"If you could move around on stage with heels, then you can walk down the stairs with them." Hotaru blandly replied, but nevertheless held onto Mikan's hand tightly.

"We're nearly at the vending machines Mikan, and we are also late!" Permy sighed. "I can't believe the stupid elevator's are broken. I mean, why today? Why not tomorrow, or yesterday?"

"Mmm, they better not close down _tomorrow_ . . ." Mikan vaguely said.

"Tomorrow?" Anna repeated, and then she smiled in realization and said, "Excited for the first day of 2008?"

Hotaru exchanged knowing looks with Mikan; after all, she was the only one in her friends that knew her birthday was tomorrow. Mikan had planned them to tell them later on tonight, so she kept her little secret safe and replied, "2008 is going to be _our _year, baby! I can feel it in my fingers!"

Aoi laughed, "How so?"

"Something big, no, _huge _is going to happen this year, I know it!" Mikan excitedly exclaimed.

"Hmm, maybe like one of us is going to win the Music Competition?" Nonoko suggested, as she wiggled her eyebrows.

Mikan beamed, "Exactly!"

"Oh thank God!" Permy sighed again, "The staircase finally comes to an end!" All but Hotaru started to whoop when Permy had announced this, and Mikan jumped the last two steps before she twirled around, "Freedom!"

"Ahh, c'mon, it wasn't _that _bad!" Anna laughed, as she nudged Mikan.

Mikan put her finger on her red lip, in thought, before she laughed, "Naah, it was!" The girls laughed again, but then they got their acts together, and walked over to the vending machine, which was literally ten seconds away. And there, leaning on the vending machines stood three familiar teenagers . . .

"Girlies!" Misaki Harada squealed as she caught sight of them, "Why, you are all looking beautiful!"

"Sorry we're late—"

"Ack, hardly!" Misaki said, as she put her arm around Anna and Nonoko, "You girls ready to have a blasting New Year's Eve party or what?"

"Harada, you're scaring them."

"Ahh, lighten up Youichi!" Misaki barked back. She looked back at the girls and winked at them, "We're going to try get Youichi drunk tonight, eh? That guy needs more freedom in his life!" Then Misaki's eyes sparkled as she caught sight of Aoi. "My, my, my! Is this little Aoi Hyuuga we have here?"

"Yeah, you're right—I'm Aoi, nice to meet you all!"

Tsubasa raised his eyebrows in surprise, "Hyuuga's—I mean, Natsume's little sister?" Aoi nodded and Tsubasa smiled, "I never knew he had a little sister! I'm Andou Tsubasa by the way."

"Natsume doesn't really talk about me much . . ." Aoi replied, but then she smiled and commented, "You three were all in the Music Competition, weren't you? Misaki Harada, Andou Tsubasa and Youichi Hijiri, right? Well, congratulations for getting in the Third Round!" Tsubasa grinned in thanks, and surprisingly, Youichi Hijiri, the good-looking yet laconic eighteen-year-old grunted thanks in reply.

"My, you're nothing like your brother—you're so sweet!" Misaki complimented. Aoi smiled before Misaki clapped her hands together and prompted, "Shall we get going, Tsubasa?"

"I thought more of your friends were coming?" Hotaru asked, with her head tilted to the side.

"We're meeting our mates Andrea, Onyx, Megumi and Rui at the restaurant, _La Bella Donna_. Very good Italian, and they have the best wines—"

"They are under-aged." Youichi reminded the group again.

Permy pouted, "Oh c'mon, hardly! It's New Year's Eve and we are sixteen—" she paused to look at Mikan and teased, "well, except for this one, she's still fifteen!"

Mikan smiled wryly, "Only for another six hours or so . . ."

There a confused silence, except for Hotaru's snickering, but then Anna gasped, "It's your birthday tomorrow? The first of January!"

Mikan smiled and laughed, "Surprise!"

"Oh Mikan you should have said something!" Anna exclaimed as she held onto her hands, "I would have gotten you a present—it'll be impossible to get one for you tomorrow—all the shops will be closed!"

Nonoko murmured, "I'm sure I have _something _I can give you . . ."

"I don't need presents you guys—although I _would _love some!" her friends laughed at her childishness, and Mikan continued, "Just as long I'm with you guys tonight and tomorrow for my birthday, I'll be completely fine—promise."

"Well, Youichi," Misaki nudged the bored looking boy, "you'll _definitely _have to let 'em drink—not only is it New Year's Eve, but when the clock strikes twelve, it'll be the first day of 2008 _and _Mikan's birthday! Don't be a friggin' sod—come on, we're going to have some _fuuuun _tonight!"

Youichi sighed, "If they get pissed out of their minds, than that's your fault, Misaki."

"And Tsubasa!" with that, she held onto Tsubasa's hand and announced, "Come on, let's go—the rest of them are all waiting for our grand arrival!"

**0**

"Over here, over here!" a silvery voice called, and the group turned their heads to see a beautiful girl, around the same age as Tsubasa and Misaki, waving her hand frantically at them. The waiter seemed to have got the message, and nodded, and let the group proceed to the table.

"Hey y'all!" Misaki commented as she sat down next to the girl who had called them. "It is friggin' freezing out there, huh?"

Tsubasa took a seat next to her and Youichi sat himself down to. The girls sat themselves down into the vacant seats, leaving Aoi on the edge to sit next to Youichi and Permy and Nonoko on the edge to sit next to another beautiful girl, who she did not recognize.

"So, these must be the little ones you were talking about!" said silvery voice of the beautiful girl. She had strawberry blonde hair, and startlingly green eyes, "I'm Megumi! And this," she pointed to the guy next to her, which the girls recognized from the Second Round, "is Hanazawa Rui!"

"Her proud boyfriend." Tsubasa added, as he winked.

"The other two," Megumi continued, ignoring Tsubasa's comment, "are Onyx and Andrea!"

Permy thought she would melt into a pool of butter. Andrea Lamborghini, the Italian hottie, was even more gorgeous close-up, especially when he smiled gently and said, "Nice to meet you." His accent was music to the ears.

The girl, Onyx, who was equally as stunning as Megumi, had long shiny black hair, and a pair of tantalizing midnight blue eyes. She only inclined her head in acknowledgement. Megumi then laughed and nudged her friend, "Come on Onyx, be nice! Say hello to these sweeties—if your Andrea could do it, so can you!"

"Are you hinting that Andrea is better than me?" Onyx said, as she inspected Megumi with her blue eyes.

"No!" Megumi laughed, as she patted her friend's hand. "Nothing like that!"

"Good."

"Okay, just to tell you," Tsubasa said, as he leaned over to the girls to explain, whilst the rest of Tsubasa's friends laughed at something Megumi had just said, "Megumi and Onyx are like best friends—complete opposites, it's a mystery how they found each other. Megumi is a total wacko, and well, Onyx—total opposite. Stongly feminist—beware. Andrea and Rui are best mates too—even though they hardly speak to each other. The four of them are a group—they're always together, you know? Me, Misaki and Youichi are also a group—a different group. Our groups just click well together, so we just hang out a lot together."

The girls nodded in comprehension, and Tsubasa grinned, to pull back, and join his friends' laughter, and then Nonoko giggled, "Now, where have I heard a similar story before? About two girls who are totally different but are the best of friends?"

Mikan laughed, and replied with mock-oblivion, "Gee whizz, I wonder!" The girls giggled with laughter, and then looked up at their four new friends, and introduced themselves, one by one.

"Okay!" Megumi said, "I think I got it!" she pointed her finger to the girls, and said their names as her finger moved along them—"Nonoko, Anna, Hotaru, Mikan, Sumire and Aoi?"

"You can call Sumire 'Permy'!" Mikan cheekily said; only to be glared by Permy, who replied, "I like how you are starting a new trend, Mikan."

"Permy?" Megumi repeated as she laughed, "Mmm, me like—it suits you!"

Permy banged her head on the table, "Don't know whether to laugh or to cry!"

"Cry—it's funnier!" Mikan teased as she cutely pouted, only to be glared by Permy yet again and the laughter on the table to increase. "You're pushing it, Mikan." Permy hissed, only for the laughter to double.

"Girls are so funny!" Andrea commented in his beautiful Italian accent—his 'R's rolling with perfection. "One minute Onyx is laughing with me, the next, she is killing me, you know?"

The laughter resumed then stopped when they group saw the angry look on Onyx's face, "Very funny." She sarcastically commented, as she closed her Menu, "I want Spaghetti Vongole."

"Same." Hotaru blandly agreed.

"_And _we are _all _having some red wine!" Misaki cackled, "It's Mikan birthday tonight—well tomorrow; well the first of January, so peeps, we got to make this one memorable night for the young miss over here!" there was a round of whoops before Misaki loudly called, "Hey, waiter! Can we order please?"

"Pizza is my favourite Italian food!" Mikan said as she wolfed down another one of her Margarita slices. The wine and the food had come, and all of them were now probably on their second glass of red wine, and the girls, were already feeling a bit light-headed.

"Please," Onyx said, as she lightly scoffed, "if you think _this _is good, you should taste Andrea's Italian food."

Anna's eyes widened, "Are you really good at it?"

Andrea smiled sheepishly, "No, not really—"

"Hell yeah you are." Rui sneered, and he gave a small grin, "You're just embarrassed to admit it."

"His Italian food is real!" Megumi commented as she slurped on her spaghetti and took another swig of her wine. She nudged her boyfriend, Rui's arm, and hinted if she could have one of his olives, and when he nodded, she squealed and plucked it from his pizza. "Thank you!" she said as she kissed him on the cheek. Mikan and the girls felt buttery inside. They were so effin' cute! So were Onyx and Andrea—Andrea, God, what a sweetheart! He made sure his girlfriend was comfortable and enjoying the food at _all _times.

Tsubasa and Misaki argued, which brought laughter to the table. Argued in a way that married couples do, mind you.

And Permy was the only one in the girls to notice that Aoi Hyuuga was talking animatedly to Youichi. Maybe it was the wine that affected his speaking behaviors, but Youichi was _definitely _responding to whatever Aoi was saying to him. Which was unusual, because he was _the _Youichi Hijiri.

"You guys make such a good couple!" Anna cooed, and Nonoko nodded in agreement.

Megumi beamed, and nudged Rui, "You hear that?" she turned to look back at the twins, "Thanks so much you two! That sure does make a girl happy!" she hummed for a second or two before she lightly gasped and looked up at Mikan, "Speaking of that—Mikan, I heard from Misaki and Tsubasa that _the _Natsume Hyuuga is interested in you?"

Mikan stopped chewing, and Aoi's back stiffened.

"Guys, I think we should add that Aoi over here," Misaki said, "is Natsume's little sister."

The faces were priceless. "What? He has a younger sister?" Andrea gasped, "I never knew that! Did you, Onyx?"

"And I thought I knew all . . ." she murmured in reply, while shaking her head.

"How is it being the big star's little sister?" Rui asked as he raised his eyebrows, "Especially when he's a bit of a ba—"

"Rui, shut it." Youichi dangerously hissed.

The happy mood that encircled the table a few minutes ago had gone. All Mikan could do was focus on her pizza—she didn't want to talk about this right now, and she knew that Aoi didn't want to either.

"Sorry, Aoi, dear," Megumi gently said, as she soothingly patted her boyfriend's hand, "Rui over here got into a bit of a fight with him a few months ago, and well, I don't think he's over it."

"What?" Tsubasa said as he crinkled his eyebrows, "What fight?"

"Yeah, I haven't heard about this!" Misaki added, as she looked at Rui carefully. The girls all intently looked at Megumi and Rui, wanting to know the gossip of a few months' ago. Rui sighed, before he muttered, "I heard him talk to his friends about how he was going to dump his girlfriend because he was bored of her, so I told him to respect girls, and we kind of had an argument."

The air tensed.

"H-How long ago was this?" Permy quietly asked.

"Around August."

The girls looked at Permy. First, she just slumped down in her seat, sighing. But then, her nose flared, and she sat up, "Well that _girlfriend _was _me! _Me! Urgh—I hate him! Hate him so so so much! How dare he _discuss _it with his friends—I must be the butt of their jokes!"

"You dated him?" Andrea said with his eyebrows raised.

"Unfortunately, yes." Permy replied in a stony voice.

Mikan looked around to check on Aoi, and as she expected, she had an awkward look on her face. "Hey guys, maybe we should change the subject—"

"He's horrible!" Megumi tutted, as she shook her head disapprovingly, "No girl should be treated like that! Yeah, Natsume Hyuuga is gorgeous—sorry, Rui, but it's true—but why would he do such thing? Just because he's good-looking doesn't mean he rules the world."

"That's what he thinks." Hotaru and Onyx said in unison.

"Well, if I didn't know better," Tsubasa said as he ruffled his hair, "I would say that Natsume is actually lonely."

"Lonely?" Andrea echoed. "How so?"

"Just saying. I think all these parties and girls are just a distraction—no offence to you, Sumire. But I think the reason he dates so much is to get his mind off something."

"Like a secret?" Hotaru suggested, with her eyebrows raised.

Tsubasa shrugged, "Maybe?" but then she smiled and said, "But I could be barking up the wrong tree—Aoi, you're his little sister! What's your say in all of this, eh?"

Aoi was staring blankly in front of her, with a look that looked in between deep in thought and deep in a dark abyss, before she blinked and stuttered, "O-Oh! U-Um . . . Natsume . . . I think he just needs someone who'll actually, you know, care about _him _more than his fame and looks . . . but yeah, he's a messed up guy." The group laughed at Aoi's last statement, but Mikan noticed the vulnerability dawned on Aoi's face once more, just like before. Worried, Mikan bit her lip, but she couldn't help her own mind buzzing.

Lonely—Natsume Hyuuga? That idea had struck her before, but she dismissed it quickly because, well, it seemed so impossible. Natsume Hyuuga, the one of the hottest teenager in Japan—_lonely? _It just seemed crazy! How could he ever be lonely with all of his fans and girlfriends? But maybe Andou Tsubasa was right: maybe it _was _all just a distraction. And secret? What secret? She looked at Aoi curiously; maybe there _was _a secret to do with Natsume and his past and maybe that's why he had ended up like this. Could it be?

**0**

Five minutes to midnight.

The countdown had started.

And where were the girls? On the dance floor the restaurant had set up for the New Year. The older group—as in Tsubasa's group weren't dancing along with them crazily, no, they were merely still sitting down, having a laugh and a chat.

The girls were whooping and throwing their hands up all over the place while dancing to the sick beat of Timbaland.

"I think Miss Mikan has had a bit too much too drink!" Anna laughed as she saw Mikan twirl around like a ballerina.

"No I have not!" Mikan whined back, pouting, "I had the same amount as youuuu!"

"Low alcohol tolerance then." Permy confirmed as she laughed, "Wait, wait, hold up girl!" Permy gripped onto Mikan's arm, "We don't want you falling do we?"

"Falling? Like . . . like an angel?"

Aoi laughed out loud, "She's pissed!"

Hotaru snorted, "Typical."

Nonoko giggled, "I don't understand how _you_," she looked at Hotaru, "are okay! After that vodka shot contest with Onyx, I thought you'd both be knackered, but here you are, standing on your two feet! It's a miracle!"

"Hotaru's an alcoholic?" Mikan gasped.

"No, sweetie, she's not." Permy sighed as she patted her head.

Suddenly, the music stopped, and the dancers looked up to see the manager of the restaurant on the DJ stool, with the microphone in his hands. "Sorry to interrupt all your dancing, but we now have another minute of 2007 left—"

"Yay! It's ma birrffdddaaayy!" Mikan squealed, jumping up and down.

Hotaru clamped her hand around Mikan and hissed, "Not yet you idiot!" and send the manager and the rest of the customers and apologetic look along with her friends.

"—So we would like to start the countdown!" He checked his watch, "54, 53, 52, 51, 50—" the whole room started to chant along with the manager, and soon enough, the numbers came down to, "10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 . . . ONE!" Suddenly there was a huge applause and screaming and whooping could be heard. Confetti fell from the ceiling as Timbaland roared back onto the speakers, and the people in the restaurant resumed dancing but began to congratulate each other.

"Tough year 2007 was, eh, George?"

"Wait till 2009, I heard the Credit Crunch will be a nightmare that year, Edward, m'chap!"

"Happy Birthday Mikan!" All her friends squealed in unison, as they flocked around the drunk girl, and hugged her tightly, who woozily wheezed, "G-Guys, I can't breathe . . ."

"You are sixteen my girl!" Permy happily announced, ignoring Mikan, but giving her space nonetheless. "So how do you feel now you are sixteen, huh?"

There was silence between the girls, as they all looked at Mikan expectantly. Their eyes widened in fear when they saw Mikan go green and announce, "I feel sick."

Before Permy could scream; before Anna and Nonoko could gasp; before Aoi could put her hands on her mouth; before Hotaru could hit her head because of her best friend's behaviour, Mikan Sakura threw up.

Right in the middle of the dance floor.

Just like that.

High-pitched shrieks could be heard and then Hotaru growled, "Great, Mikan. Great way to start 2008."

Great way indeed.

**0**

Mikan felt the warm and comforting smell of coffee fill her nose, and her nose twitched. It smelt good, and she craved it badly. Her hazel eyes, which had been closed, flickered open, and she shifted her eyes around to see where she was. She smiled and pressed her face in her pillow; her bed as her sanctuary. She groaned, and put her hands firmly on her bed, and pulled herself up—"Oh my fucking God!" she screeched when she felt the throbbing pain in her head when she did that.

_Am I dying?_

"I think she's awake!" Mikan heard the voice of Aoi exclaim, and soon enough, all of her friends clambered into the bedroom.

"Guys, I think I'm dying—goodbye—"

"You idiot, it's just a hangover." Hotaru bluntly interrupted, as she held out some pills and a cup of water, "You might want these."

Mikan gladly took them, and quickly popped the pill in her mouth, and drank it down with the cool refreshing water. Water had never tasted so incredible in her life! After she had done, she sighed, and plopped back down on her bed, "Ha-hangover? What?"

Permy sighed, "You don't remember, do you?"

"Remember what?" Mikan asked with her eyebrows furrowed, as she massaged her temple.

"You were drunk last night, Mikan!" Aoi laughed.

"Drunk out of your mind!" Anna agreed laughing along with Aoi.

"You _threw up _on the dancefloor!" Nonoko concluded. They all were laughing now, and Permy snorted, "Remember that guy? The guy who started to swear at us for being _irresponsible friends_? The bastard!"

"Oh God." Mikan groaned, "Oh my God . . . I remember." Her friends laughed at her reaction, and Mikan hit her hand in embarrassment, but then winced at the pain, before she blurted out, "That was so embarrassing! . . . We were kicked out, right?"

"Duh." Hotaru smirked, as she sat down on the foot of Mikan's bed. "Tsubasa and Misaki came this morning to check on you—but you were still sleeping."

Mikan groaned again, but giggled slightly too, "What time is it?"

"Fifteen to twelve."

"I can't believe that I did that—especially on my—" Mikan gasped, "birthday! Oh my God, I'm sixteen! I'm _sixteen!_" She squealed, trying her best to ignore the aching pain in her head when she jumped up and down in her bed. Her friends laughed, and pulled her into a close hug and kissed her on the cheek.

"Happy Birthday, Mikan!" they chorused.

"Thank you!"

"Come on," Anna said, "breakfast is waiting for you. English breakfast—best cure for a hangover."

"Cheers, Anna Banana!"

The girls left Mikan on her bed, except for Hotaru who stayed sat on the foot of her bed and gently smiled at her best friend, "Any New Year's Resolution?"

Mikan snorted, whilst rubbing her temporal lobes, "Never to drink again, for sure!"

**0**

**End of Chapter Twelve**

**0**


	15. Solving A Mystery

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Alice Gakuen in any way! Nor do I own the songs used in this Fanfic so far!

**0**

**My Happy Ending  
**_**by Little Miss Giggle**_

**0**

**Chapter Thirteen: Solving A Mystery**

**0**

_I don't need no superman, with special powers and a fake tan,  
_ _to try and save the day for me._  
_Why can't he just let me be?_

**0**

"Dance," Mr. Reo said, as he walked the classroom on a wintry January's morning, "can be interpreted by people in completely different ways. Some of the students in different classes, students who play musical instruments, will interpret dance differently for example. While we think Michael Jackson is the legendary King Of Pop, and dance for that matter, the other students may think that Tchaikovsky's orchestral pieces are the big dance hits. Of course, we know better."

Mikan couldn't help smile at that. Even though Mr. Reo had what people would call, 'dry humour', she liked it a lot. She found it funny to hear his droning flat voice, and to watch the famous roll of his eyes whenever he opened his mouth. And he always looked as if he wished he was still in bed or on the beach somewhere in Spain—in other words, he looked bored stiff most of the time. He definitely reminded her of her best friend.

"As you most of you know," he continued, as he wrote the date on the board—11th of January 2008； school had just started two days ago—"the next Round for the Music Competition is Dance, and this is why I have brought this subject up." The room started to murmur with conversation of the anticipated Third Round, but it went ignored by Mr. Reo who started to explain what he was doing and why for that matter, "Five students and one group in my class have managed to make it to the Third Round. I think you all know who they are, so I won't bother calling out their names. So," he interlocked his fingers and clicked them, "as you all know, I like to be dubbed as the best teacher in the Academy. So I want the overall winner of Competition to be from this class."

"You have me!" the sickly sweet voice of Luna Koizumi tinkled with laughter, she swung her arm up dramatically, ". . . And my groupies of course—but _me!_"

Mr. Reo resumed his speaking as if he was never interrupted, "All of the lessons in January are going to be 'Free Study' lessons. This is for all of you—so that the contestants of the Third Round can hopefully come out with a good dance hit, and the rest of you can spend the times doing whatever you want—of course, it has to be related to music."

"Can we just listen to our iPods, then?" a girl in the front row asked, he voice etched with surprise.

Mr. Reo shrugged, "That's music so I don't see why not."

"I love you, Mr. Reo . . ." Aoi murmured, as she immediately grabbed her bag from the floor and started to furiously rummage the contents. Mikan looked at her friend, and lightly laughed when Aoi yanked out her iPod out from her bag, and quickly unlocked it to turn it on.

"Well, get to whatever you're going to do today." Mr. Reo bluntly said, as he fell back down to his chair, unbothered when the conversation noise level immediately soared from quiet to loud.

"I _lurrve _Mr. Reo!" Luna gushed, loudly enough for the whole class and Mr. Reo to hear for that matter, "I mean, he's so thoughtful!"

Mikan rolled her eyes and muttered, "Suck-up." Before she propped her elbows on her table, and turned to look at Aoi, "So, my dearest, are you just going to listen to your iPod?"

"Why? Need some help?"

"Naah, just asking," Mikan replied, as pulled out a piece of paper from her notebook. "Right . . . let's do this." She muttered to herself, as she stared at the blank piece of paper. Dance? What does she know about dance—a hell of a lot! She loved to dance; disco's were her all-time favourite pass-time. Mikan unconsciously pouted as a stream of questions came to her mind: what's the song going to be about? The tune? Is she going to choreograph a dance with this piece?

First thing is first, she needed a tune for it.

_Bum. B-bum bum bum bu-bum. B-bum bum bum bum bummm b-bum bum bum bum . . ._

Mikan immediately swivelled her to Aoi's direction, her eyes wide and glittering with a pure look of excitement. Aoi was innocently tapping her pencil lazily on the desk, looking distant and bored, but when she noticed Mikan was smiling at her as if she were Leonado Dicaprio, Aoi blinked, pulled out her earphones, and asked, "You okay? . . . Oh, is that tapping annoyin—"

"Do it again, Aoi!"

". . . W-what?"

"Try tap exactly what you tapped a second ago! I just had an epiphany!"

Confused, Aoi looked at Mikan with her eyebrows furrowed, but nevertheless she drummed her pencil once more identically—at least tried to make the same tapping noises as she did a few seconds ago. As she did so, Mikan snatched a pen from Aoi's pencil case, and furiously started to write something down on her piece of paper.

"I owe you big time! Thank you so much Aoi!" Mikan quickly thanked, as she blew a kiss at her friend quickly before she rapidly resumed scribbling.

"Anytime, Mikan . . .?" Aoi answered, her eyebrows still scrunched up and her voice etched with a questioning tone. She was completely bewildered on what just happened, but she shrugged the thought of and zoned back to the world of nothing but music; God bless the man who created iPods! A small smile crossed her face; she felt amused, but what did she expect? This _was_ Mikan after all.

The problem about this Academy, Mikan had come to a conclusion, was the fact that individuals are split up from their friends. The time tables for each class were hectic; there was no doubt about that, but there was also the fact that this school was so bloody big, it was hard to find somebody no matter how hard you try. It was free period for the students in Mr. Reo's class, and it was also twenty minutes to lunch. She left the Mr. Reo's classroom with Aoi, she was sure of it, but it was once she had reached the end of the corridor that she noticed Aoi was no longer there standing there next to her; all she could see was a wave of teenagers, none of them being Aoi.

"I just wasted twenty-five minutes of my life wandering aimlessly around in this godforsaken school." Mikan darkly scowled, and then she threw her hands up and groaned, "And I am _still _wandering around!"

Aoi _had_ tried to contact Mikan. In fact, she had two missed calls from her, and even got a text saying, _Where r u? x_

Problem: Mikan doesn't have any credit.

No matter how much she stared at her phone, commanding it telepathically to receive another message from Aoi stating where _she _was, the text never came.

_I could always go back to the dorm room . . . _Mikan thought to herself but then her nose crinkled, _but the question is can I _really _be arsed to walk up all those flights of stairs?_

_No._

The elevator had _still _not been repaired to all the girl's annoyance. Hotaru even declared that she would fix it if the stupid repairman didn't come by the end of January and judging by the ways things were going, Hotaru's declaration might become reality—no matter how many times Permy called the school office telling them about an elevator problem, the answer they'd threw back was always the same lie, "We'll call someone immediately!"

Mikan sighed, finally realising this search was hopeless . . . and that her throat was as dry as sand paper. She could really do with a Coke now . . . no, a Sprite—_no _a Fanta would quench her thirst perfectly. With that thought in mind, she twisted her heels back around, in the direction of the vending machines by the entrance and exit of the Alice Academy.

And thank God there were sofa's dotted around the vending machine; she could do with some sitting down and resting her tired legs, which to her, felt like a thousand tons.

Unconsciously, she was pouting when her hazel eyes scanned the selection of drinks. Under her breath, she murmured Fanta repeatedly, but then exclaimed an, "Aha!" when she had found the Fanta in the vending machine. The can seemed to gleam at her and whisper to her to buy it; this was destiny, Mikan was sure of it! Her eye fell down on the price . . . a hundred Yen.

Mikan started to look around in her bag for her precious purse, but her eyes widened in alarm when she couldn't find it. But instead of sprinting to the receptionist, screaming that her purse was missing, Mikan decided to be calm and rational, which mind you, is a complete and utter alter-ego like behaviour. But it didn't last long. She felt alarm prickle her skin when she still couldn't place her purse, even if she was being bloody calm and rational. A growl emitted from the back of her throat; she _was_ going to get that can of Fanta even if it were the last thing she did!

Mkan crouched down, and widened the mouth of her bag as wide as it would go, and furiously started to shake the contents of her bag in hope to hear the clanking of coins. But all she did hear was footsteps coming her way . . . and they stopped right behind her.

"Sorry, if you're waiting to buy a drink, go ahead," Mikan offered as she continued to search for her damn purse, "I'm just finding my-" Mikan looked up to see the person and stopped midsentence when she saw a pair of crimson red eyes looking down at her, accompanied with his eyebrows, which were raised in mirth.

"Oh . . . hey Hyuuga."

"I take it you've lost your purse?"

Mikan snorted, "Well done, Sherlock. We can all go home now! Case closed."

"Sarcasm doesn't suit you, Polka."

"Oh whatev-"

"What do you want?"

Confused, Mikan blinked, and she dumbly blurted out a bewildered, "Huh?"

"What do you want?" Natsume repeated, but this time as he flickered his eyes in the direction of the vending machine.

"Oh!" Mikan gasped, slightly taken back, before she replied, "I wanted a Fanta-hey, hey, Hyuuga!" Mikan said, as she quickly stood up, to go to his side, "You don't have to buy me a drink, you know!"

"Who said I was ever buying you one?" Natsume answered, a smirk plastered to his face. He easily slid the coins into the slot and Mikan's eyes narrowed, and she muttered, "Bloody bastard." But nevertheless, Natsume pushed the button for a Fanta, and once it had fallen down, fluidly, he picked it up, and stretched it out to Mikan. "Take it."

Hesitantly, Mikan motioned her hand to take it, but then her furrowed her eyebrows, "Hotaru told me never to take drinks from a stranger! And you, Hyuuga, are worse then a stranger! I bet you've put something funny in this, haven't you?"

Natsume scoffed, "It's a can. How the hell do you expect me to drug it?"

Mikan still eyed him suspiciously, and Natsume calmly look back into her eyes, but then he rolled them, and drawled, "Fine. Don't have it then, I'll have it-"

"No!" Mikan quickly snatched the can from his grasp, and popped it open.

Natume's corners of his lips turned up; typical. Mikan Sakura was such a greedy pig, _that_ was for sure. Mikan finally took a swig from her Fanta, and she felt her insides bubbling, and her dry throat bursting with moist, tingling with satisfaction. She let out a sigh when she pulled the can away from her mouth, and then, she took some steps and fell down onto the bouncy sofa chairs.

"Thanks, Hyuuga!"

Natsume cocked his head to the side, and replied, "Consider it a birthday present."

Mikan twitched, "You knew it was my birthday recently?"

"One of my classmate is a waiter at the Bella Donna restaurant; he was there when you threw up in the middle of the dance floor and he spilt the news to our whole class. Nice way to greet the New Year, Polka." But then his jaw hardened and he continued, in a stony voice, "You drink a lot then?"

Mikan snorted, before she took a little sip from her Fanta. "No, I don't drink, generally. I just . . . got a little bit carried away that night. You know, with all the music, and celebrating mood it's hard to resist a drink-especially when you have Misaki daring you to drink more and when you're about to turn sixteen."

"Was my sister there?"

Mikan blinked, "Pardon?"

"Aoi. Was she there?"

"Yeah . . ."

". . . Did she drink?"

Mikan opened her mouth to reply, but then she shut it close. With her lips pressed together, she rambled her brain, trying to recall any vague memory of Aoi taking a sip of her booze . . . "Actually . . . it might just be the fact I don't remember it, but I don't think Aoi touched her drink that night. Unless I didn't see of course; I don't generally watch people drink." She took another sip of her Fanta, "Why?"

Natsume nodded, and ignoring her question, he blandly said, "Happy belated Birthday."

"O-Oh! Um, thanks, Hyuuga . . ." Mikan uncertainly replied, and then her hazel eyes inspected him carefully. Was it just her imagination, or was Natsume Hyuuga doing nothing suggestive today? Normally he loved teasing the crap out of Mikan by making his snide remarks, and cocky slash perverted statement. But today . . . nada. But then she inwardly said that it won't be long till Hyuuga simply states something like, "Did you know it's now legal for you to have sex? Wanna try?"

Oooh, she can see it happen so vividly in her head.

Natsume sat in the sofa chair next to Mikan, and simply clicked open his newly bought can of Coke and dragged it to his lips, before he lazily drawled, "How are you?"

Mikan felt her eyes widened, and she coughed, "E-excuse me?"

Natsume glared at her, telling her he would not repeat his 'friendly' question again. Mikan gulped, feeling a bit tense under his dark look, and cleared her throat awkwardly before she uncertainly replied, "G-Good! Yeah . . . good. Umm . . . are you okay? Because you don't seem-"

"Do I look ill?"

"No, but you're acting . . . well, _nice!_"

"Did it ever occur to you that I could be _nice _sometimes?" Natsume drawled, but his crimson eyes twinkled with amusement.

"No!" Mikan answered, as she lightly laughed when she saw the amusement in Natsume's eyes vanish immediately. "I mean, come on, Hyuuga! What happened to you?" She gasped, "Don't tell me your New Year's Resolution is to stop being a womanizer and actually be a good guy! Because if it is, I'll totally support you!"

Natsume faintly rolled his eyes before he answered, "No, nothing like that. I was just . . . _curious_ to know how you were."

"Oh . . . well truthfully, right now, I'm kind of shocked, but I'm fine . . . except I just lost Aoi, which sucks-hey, wait a second! Why are you out of classes? I thought it was only Mr. Reo's class on Free Period!"

"I don't have lessons anymore. I just work with my band and manager. So you could say I'm always on free period."

Mikan clicked her tongue, "Lucky you." Her eyes locked on his expression as she sipped on her drink once more. "So how are you? You never told me."

Natsume kept quiet for a while, and blankly just stared ahead of him. But then, his lips parted, and his low gravelly voice he answered, "Lost."

_Save me, I'm lost_  
_Oh lord, I've been waiting for you_  
_I'll pay any cost_  
_Save me from being confused_  
_Show me what I'm looking for_  
_Show me what I'm looking for_  
_Oh lord_

Mikan raised her eyebrow, "Excuse me?" But Natsume's answer to that question never came. Mikan was completely confused at his silence and reply to her question, and she was also bewildered by the look on his face. His usual mask of indifference was still there, no doubt about that, but if you looked really closely at him, as Mikan was, you could see a crack in his mask. His eyes held an emotion—not an emotion of mirth, arrogance or anger, but a lonely emotion of loss. He may not look ill, but there was something definitely not-Natsume like in his aura today. Mikan bit her lower lip; maybe she should push her boobs together to see if he reacts, you know, to check if he really _is _alright.

But instead of doing that, she just sighed and commented, "You're not yourself today, Hyuuga."

Lazily, he tilted his head to her direction, leant back on the sofa and said, "And _you _know what I'm like?"

Mikan smiled, "Nope! Except for the fact you're actually from Sapporo!" Natsume's sharply looked at her, and he opened his mouth to say something but Mikan continued, "I've always wanted to go up to Sapporo! I heard the food there is to die for—Hotaru is desperate to go there too, because of the crabs."

Natsume's lips turned up and he said, "You only care about your stomach, huh?"

"Pretty much." Mikan answered as she laughed. "Personally, I want to go up there for the ramen. Is it really that good?" Natsume just grunted in reply, which she just took as a lousy yes, and Mikan then looked at him with a questioning matter, "So you came to the Academy with all your bandmates from Sapporo? When you guys were fifteen?"

Natsume sucked the insides of his cheeks before he replied, "Why do interested in me now Polka?"

Mikan kept the smile on her face, and just waved his remark off and just continued to look at him, urging Natsume to answer her question. Was it just her or did Natsume seem to be evading her questions? Finally, Natsume let tired sigh, clicked his neck, and explained, "Ruka, Koko, Kitsune-me and I all went to the same school in Sapporo. We started a band when we were kids—it was a school project in Year Five, and we never imagined then that we'd actually become a proper band, let alone move to Tokyo."

"Don't you miss Sapporo?"

"I've got my friends here with me, what more do I need?"

". . . Family?"

Natsume didn't reply, he simply only clicked his tongue and took a long swig of his Coke.

"If not family, the place. Like, I miss Nagoya so much."

"Yeah, you think Tokyo is a dead city." Natsume snorted, but before Mikan could say anything, Natsume had carried on; "Polka, Sapporo is the largest city in Hokkaido. It may be smaller than Tokyo, but it's still a city, so God knows if you'll like it up there."

"Well, I'm going someday, I know that!" Then her eyes sparkled, "Hey maybe I could go with Aoi up there! She should know her way around, right?" Natsume didn't bother to answer; isn't it blatantly obvious that Aoi knew her way around in Sapporo? She lived there for most of her life for crying out loud!

Mikan sighed; this guy was really too laconic for his own good. "So Hyuuga, what made you come to Tokyo so suddenly? I heard that you and your friends came to the Academy mid-Term, which apparently is, 'really rare?'"

"What are you?" Natsume muttered, obviously annoyed, "A bloody interviewer from Us Weekly?"

"I'm just trying to shed a light in the grand mystery of Natsume Hyuuga." Mikan replied as she shrugged, "After all, you are one of my best friend's older brother. But you two don't speak to each other, and I find that so . . . odd. I speak to my brother, even though he is a right pain in the arse. And he does speak to me, even though what comes out of his mouth is generally an insult."

"Okay, I'll ask you—why did _you_ come to the Academy?"

Mikan blinked, but then she confidently answered, "Because I wanted to become a singer."

"Well, you've figured me out," Natsume sarcastically droned, "I came to the Academy to become a singer too. There, satisfied?" he aggressively finished, and with that, he easily pulled his hand back, and lazily flicked his wrist, to send his empty can of coke to the bin, and alas, it went sailing through the air smoothly, and fell into the bin perfectly.

Nice.

But Mikan smelt a rat.

Or a fish, because suddenly she felt extremely fishy about all of this. There was so many questions running through her mind; she did not know which one she wanted to completely understand first. Of course, she could always ask Aoi . . . but to Mikan didn't want to make Aoi, after all, Aoi did seem sensitive to some matters . . . some of them being about her relationship with her brother.

"And just like that, Mikan Sakura shuts up." Natsume commented in a bored matter, but when Mikan looked up, she saw a challenging look dawned on his handsome face. "And just like that, Hyuuga _opens_ his mouth." Mikan coolly remarked, as she clapped her hand over her mouth in mock-shock.

Natsume rolled his eyes before he draped his arm over the sofa chair and asked, "Thought about the Third Round yet?"

"I've already figured out my tune!" Mikan proudly announced, as her eyes sparkled, "All I have to do now if put lyrics to it, and if I can be arsed, come up with a dance to it!"

"Get Harada to help you come up with a dance. I'll give her this, and this only, she's sick at dancing."

Mikan gasped, "You genius! Yeah, I'll see if she can help! Thanks for the advice, Hyuuga!"

Misaki Harada was like a Japanese version of Ciara; her dance moves were strong and sexy and her voice fitted perfectly with her moves.

But then Mikan frowned. Okay, _now _she was getting creeped out. Hyuuga was being _WAY _too nice . . . but she liked it. I mean, who wouldn't prefer a nice bloke to a jackass? Maybe Hyuuga had an epiphany of some sort . . . or maybe, he _was _just trying to be kind for once in his life.

Maybe.

"Seen the notice board?"

Mikan's frown melted away into a curious expression; her eyes narrowed, and her lips thinned, and her eyebrows knitted, "No, why? Is there something important on there?"

"It has all the information about the Third Round." Mikan's curiosity vanished, and she gasped, her eyes sparkling, but before she could say anything, Natsume abruptly stood up from his seat and lazily said, "I'm going to lunch. See you around, Polka." and just like that, Natsume Hyuuga strolled away from Mikan, taking long strides with his firm long legs. Once he was completely out of sight, Mikan fluttered her eyes before she rubbed them; "Did I just imagine all of that?" she quietly said to herself. She couldn't quite grasp the fact that Natsume Hyuuga was here, sitting with her a few seconds ago, actually talking to her. Then her eyes fell upon her Fanta can.

2008, she came to the conclusion, was a crazy year. And it's only been eleven days.

And Hyuuga didn't even say, "Did you know it's now legal for you to have sex? Wanna try?"

Weird.

**oooooooooooooo**

_**Noticeboard**_

**! All Students In The Third Round !  
**_**Vital information:**_

**Date: 14th February Time: 7:00pm - however long it may all take**

**Additional Notes: **Between the time were the judges are discussing and voting for who is eliminated and who will stay to go on to the Fourth Round, there will be a dance. The stage will be taken by our very own MOCHU, who has volunteered to DJ for the dance. The dance will last only an hour, to be proceeded by the judges taking over the stage to announce the results.

**10 People shall be eliminated in the Third Round**

_Thank you._

******oooooooooooooo**

14th February. Why oh why did that date sound so familiar to Mikan? She bit her lip as she pondered for a bit; was it someone's birthday that day? A memorial day? . . . No, but it was _definitely _a day that something happens. Mikan thought for a few more seconds, still standing in front of the notice board, but no matter how hard she thought, no shred of idea came to her. She sighed feeling a bit annoyed, and definitely confused, but then a smile crossed her face.

Dance! There was going to be a _dance!_

But then a look of dislike crossed her face. Ten people out of twenty people were going to be eliminated. Oh Jesus. Mikan harped on the thought only for a few seconds when suddenly, she heard her phone ringing from inside her bag. Determined not to miss another call, Mikan wrenched open her bag as far as it would go, and tipped it upside down onto the floor, causing all of her notebook and pens to spill onto the floor, as well as her goddamn purse and vibrating phone.

"Hello? Aoi?"

_"Where were you! I called you and texted you, but you didn't answer!"_

"Where on Earth were _you? _I was talking to you one minute and the next you were gone! And I didn't have any credit, I couldn't text you back or call you back for that matter!"

_"I went to the toilet, I told you that! But I don't think you heard me!"_

Mikan snorted, slightly amused before she asked, "Where are you now?"

_"Well, I found Permy a few minutes ago, and Permy is now on the phone to Anna and Nonoko. She's already phoned Hotaru. We're in the canteen, and we've gotten everyone to come here too, so Mikan come!"_

"I'm starved! Good, I'll meet you there, hun!"

Mikan hung up, and then she groaned when she saw the mess she had created on the floor. Reluctantly, Mikan crouched down, and picked one notebook by one, collected all of her pens in a handful and stuffed them in her bag, all while thinking it was weird Hotaru had agreed to go to the canteen, because, well, ever since she was a kid, she refused to go to the canteen! "Why would you let yourself eat from a place like that?" Hotaru would also comment when she saw people queuing up to go to the canteen, with her nose crinkled in disgust and her eyebrows knitted.

**0**

Hotaru had said her famous line, "Why would you let yourself eat from a place like that?" when Mikan had come to sit down at one of the plastic lunch tables, which a tray of food. Her tray consisted of water, and a tuna mayo sandwich and a small pot of banoffee pie.

"The food at the Academy is great Hotaru! You should try some!" Anna said, as she took a small bite out of her apple.

Hotaru shivered in disgust, and bluntly replied, "No thank you. I'll have some crab brains when I get back to the room." Now it was the rest of the girls' time to shiver in horror.

"Mmm," Permy started, as she wiped her mouth with her napkin, "so did you see the notice board?" Her green eyes were sparkling in excitement, and Anna and Nonoko squealed in delight as they nodded vigorously, and Hotaru merely grunted, in which everybody took as a yes.

"Yeah, I did!" Mikan announced, proud for once that _she _was up to date with things.

"No," Aoi said with her eyebrows furrowed, "what was on it?"

"The _vital _information on the Third Round!" Permy explained, her voice high-pitched with excitement obvious she could no longer contain, "I'm so bloody excited for the Third Round, unlike the stupid Second Round! I mean, _dance! _That's so easy and simple! And oh, Aoi, basically, the date of the Third Round is on Valentine's Day!"

"What? Valentine's Day?"

"Mikan, I thought you said you read it!"

"I did! It said 14th of February, not St. Valentine's Day!"

The girls started to cackle with laughter, as Hotaru tiredly shook her head and muttered, "You idiot. The 14th of February _is _St. Valentine's Day." Mikan gasped, and then a bright smile crossed her face and she gushed, "So it's a Valentine's Day dance!"

"Dance?" Aoi questioned, even more confused than before.

"You hit it, Aoi!" Permy exclaimed, as she unconsciously waved around her fork in the air, "_Dance! _There's going to be a Valentine's Dance! While the judges are voting and deciding on who gets eliminated, the rest of us, have an hour in the crowd-well, now dance floor-and we dance to the music of Mochu! For _an hour! _How incredible-so basically, Hotaru, Mikan, Anna, Nonoko and I have an hour to dance with you without having a care in the world if we got in or out. Of course, if one of does get eliminated, we'll mourn about the news all night _after _the party!"

Aoi's eyes twinkled, "Wow! That sounds incredible!"

"You bet!" Anna sighed contently, but then looking at Nonoko she asked, "We haven't been out dancing properly for a long time, eh?"

"Mmmhmm! Which is a pity, cos I sure love to dance!"

"Hear hear!" Mikan declared as she took a vicious bite off her sandwich. Once she had swallowed she continued, "Hotaru and I used to go to so many discos when we were younger!"

"And Mochu—he's incredible!" Aoi commented, "Is he going to be performing of DJ-ing?"

"Well, it said 'DJ' in the notice," Permy said, "but I think he'll be performing his new songs. He has an album coming out pretty soon, so it's a clever idea to publicize it like this, no? Oh, and I heard a rumour," Permy suddenly crinkled her nose, "about Hyuuga."

Mikan stopped chewing on her sandwich in realization she hadn't told her friends about what had _just_ happened, "Guys—"

"Don't talk with your mouth full, Mikan!" Permy laughed, with a sick look on her face, "Besides, _I _was talking, and _ladies_ first!" Mikan narrowed her eyes as her friends laughed at her, including Permy who chuckled and carried on, "I heard this girl in my class say that she overheard Mr. Prince talking to Tobita Yuu, Crimson Abyss' band manager, and apparently, Mr. Prince was asking Crimson Abyss to go on stage with Mochu for one song, because Crimson Abyss _is _more sought than Mochu, so Mr. Prince thought we as a crowd would enjoy the night more if they came on as a surprise."

"What? That's so rude!" Mikan stated, her eyebrows raised, "Not only is it selfish for Crimson Abyss to do that, but it's so attention seeking! Mochu is just as good as them! He's just not . . . you know, Natsume Hyuuga or Ruka Nogi!"

"Or the other two." Hotaru darkly added.

"So Tobita Yuu accepted the offer?" Nonoko checked, curious to know; well, they were _all _curious to know the answer.

"Mochu and Crimson Abyss have collaborated loads of times, so I would think that Tobita Yuu would have said yes, _but _according to the girl who was blabbing on about this in class, her name is Sumi, told us that Tobita Yuu _in fact_ politely declined."

"I would have thought he'd have loved his band to play!" Anna said, thinking out loud. Nonoko nodded in agreement, and Aoi commented, "Yeah, same! But you know Tobita Yuu, he's such a sweetie! He's seems so modest and all."

"Ahhh, but listen to _this,_" Permy remarked, in a tone that was similar to a spy from a detective TV show, "apparently, according to Sumi, she said, and I quote, 'Tobita Yuu declined because Natsume had strictly told his manager that he did not want to play in the Third Round for the dance and take something that wasn't his.' Meaning, he didn't want to take the spotlight. Can you believe it?" Permy shook her head disbelievingly and then forked her salad.

"Is this Sumi reliable?" Hotaru questioned.

Permy shrugged, "I dunno. Don't think so."

"Well, I think it's a lie. You know, to make her 'Natsume-sama' seem more sweet and great." Hotaru concluded as she rolled her eyes. Anna and Nonoko nodded slightly in concurrence, and Permy snorted, "Yeah, you're probably right."

"My brother really isn't the one to give. He's a person who takes." Aoi interjected, in a dead flat voice. Her crimson eyes showed no emotion, but she looked _zoned out_, as she had done on some occasions before.

But Mikan didn't say anything.

"Hey, Mikan, you wanted to say something before Permy interrupted you?" Anna prompted, as she eagerly tilted her head to the side. "What's up?"

"Hey hey!" Permy exclaimed loudly, "_She _was the one who interrupted me in the first place!" The girls lightly laughed but all looked at Mikan, urging her to tell her what was on the tip of her tongue only minutes ago.

"O-oh! Well . . ." Mikan bit the insides of her cheek, and paused for a second. Then, suddenly, she put her hand to the back of her head, and forced a laugh, "I forgot!" she lied, while she childishly laughed. Her friends all laughed along at her, except for Hotaru who rolled her eyes and muttered, "Typical."

But Mikan had not forgotten what she wanted to say. She wanted to tell her friends about the encounter with Natsume Hyuuga, she knew that. But was it wrong she now didn't _want _to tell them, and keep their brief meeting between them? Was that wrong? Was she betraying Permy by doing this? Somehow, Mikan now came to the idea that Natsume Hyuuga wasn't actually who she thought him to be. But different.

Was it possible?

**0**

**End of Chapter Thirteen**

**0**

**A/N: **'Show Me What I Am Looking For' by Carolina Liar was quoted in this chapter. Give the song a listen - it's a good one and it sets out the mood.


	16. Disaster

**Disclaimer:** N for nitwit and O for orangutan. Go figure! : )

**0**

**My Happy Ending  
**_**by Little Miss Giggle**_

**0**

**Chapter Fourteen: Disaster**

**0**

"This Academy," the voice of Sumire Shouda echoed from the front door, "just gets better and better!"

The rest of the girls expectantly looked up from whatever they were doing, and in a matter of seconds, the tall and skinny figure of Sumire came clambering into the living room, with an ecstatic smile on her face.

"What's up, Permy?" Mikan questioned, as she turned her attention back to her piece of paper. She was currently trying to figure out her lyrics for her song for the much anticipated Third Round. Mr. Reo's 'self-study' lessons were a complete life-saver to her—she had weeks till the Third Round, and Mikan had already figured out the music and had asked Misaki for a few dancing tips. All was good—all she needed now was lyrics, which to her, is normally the easiest bit.

Permy pulled a magazine that was laying on the coffee table towards her, before she flopped onto one of the couches, stating, "They've added more information on the notice board about the Third Round!"

Immediately, Hotaru's head, which was buried in a book, snapped up and she asked, "What information?"

Anna and Nonoko had also turned their attention on Permy by lowering the volume of the telly and Aoi, who was lazily sketching in her notebook, shut it close and placed it on her lap. Mikan's eyes glazed with excitement, and she childishly demanded, "Spill it!"

"Well girlies, we have guessed correctly—the Dance is indeed going to be a Valentine's Dance!" The girls gasped before squealing, "_And_," Permy continued with a triumphant smile, "each person in the Academy is allowed to bring a guest from outside the school to watch the Third Round!"

"No way!"

"What? You mean, like a date of some sort?"

"Well you don't have to," Permy explained, "but you're _allowed _to. And yeah, like a date I guess because as well as watching the Third Round, they can join the dance!"

Anna smiled and high-fived Aoi while chorusing, "Sweet!"

"The Third Round is still going to be in the Main Hall, right?" Hotaru questioned, which Permy nodded to in reply and continued, "And _that's _where I thought of a genius plan!" The girls' eyes twinkled as they waited for Permy to announce it: "My plan is that we invite Ryo to the Third Round and the Valentine's Dance!"

All eyes shifted from Permy to the gaping Mikan as silence followed. Only to be broken.

"What? You mean my brother, Ryo?" Mikan incredulously cried her jaw comically hung open.

"Who else Mikan? Seriously!" Permy said, as she rolled her eyes. "_Yes_, you invite Ryo, your brother, and then dance with him at the Dance!"

Mikan crinkled her nose in disgust, "Eww! But . . . why would I want to do that? If _you_ want to meet Ryo, why don't you invite him? I'm not wasting my invitation on _him!_"

The girls tittered with laughter as Permy sighed, "Mikan you idiot!" her beaming face completely vanished; only to be replaced by an annoyed expression, "You invite Ryo so you can dance with him in front of Hyuuga! Duh! Why else? Hyuuga thinks that Ryo is your boyfriend so for Hyuuga, you'd be dancing with the enemy, and that's _exactly _what he deserves!"

A confused silence followed as the girls processed the given information but then Anna and Nonoko gasped slash laughed before they started to chant, "You _genius_, Perms!"

Permy wiggled her eyebrows triumphantly as Hotaru had a small smile on her face, but she just lightly rolled her eyes and returned to her book. Aoi's expression was unreadable, but her crimson eyes were firmly rested on Mikan, and she watched Mikan furrow her eyebrows and say, "But what if Hyuuga figures it out?"

"You _call _Ryo and tell him to act the part, silly! Simple as that!" Permy simply replied, as she turned the page of her magazine, "Oh my God, those shoes are so cute—"

"Is it really necessary?"

"Hell yeah!" Permy firmly replied, her tone of voice etched with confidence, "It's a perfect opportunity to _crush _Hyuuga! His Grinch-sized heart will suffer—ha!"

"I don't think this plan will make him angry, crushed or make him suffer to be honest Perms."

"Stop being so pessimistic Mikan, and call your brother." A huffed breath escaped her lips as she shook her head warily. The rest of the girls kept their mouth shut, feeling an awkward moment rising; Anna and Nonoko pretended their nails were the most interesting things in the world; Aoi scribbled in her sketchbook but Hotaru firmly kept her gaze on both Permy and Mikan.

". . . Isn't it better to not take risky chances than to take them at all? I mean, what if Hyuuga finds out—"

Permy slapped the magazine on her thighs, before she looked up at Mikan with her eyes narrowed, "Why are you so eager to wiggle yourself out of this? It's a flawless plan, you now have a date, you can enjoy your night with your brother, and it'll annoy the hell out of Hyuuga—it's like hitting three birds with one stone! And Mikan, you're making it sound as if you don't want to avenge him!"

_Why do _I _need to avenge him? _Mikan thought, but she kept her thoughts firmly in her head. _Why is Permy using _me _to hurt him?_

"And you know what _I _heard?" Permy continued, her eyes now back on the magazine and after a pause, she said, "_I _heard Hyuuga made a bet with his friends about you." Mikan's eyes widened, and her jaw fell when Permy finished, "He made a bet with his friend that the night of the Third Round is the night he'll officially claim you . . . he's made a bet that he'll bang you that night."

Anna and Nonoko gasped in sync: "No way!"

Aoi had a scowl on her face as she scoffed in disgust, as she muttered under her breath.

"When did you hear that?" Hotaru asked.

Permy shrugged, and kept her attention completely focused on the magazine, but glanced up when Mikan had stood up from her seat with a furious look on her face. "I'm calling Ryo!" She announced, as she flounced out the living room, to retrieve her phone from her room.

_Bang me, huh? _Mikan thought, _I'll bang his head with a wine bottle! The nerve of that Hyuuga! And to think I thought for a moment he actually wasn't like that!_

"The bastard." She growled, as she snatched her phone from her bedside table. Immediately, she went through her contacts and found her brother, and clicked 'Call'. Pacing in her room, with her phone tightly in her grip, she took a deep breath.

She heard the other line ring three times before Ryo answered.

"_Yeah?"_

"Ryo, it's me—"

"_I know—Caller ID."_

". . . Whatever! Ryo, I have a huge favour to ask for you! Like massive!" When Ryo didn't answer, Mikan continued, "On Valentine's Day, it's the Third Round of the Alice Academy Music Competition! And basically, we're allowed to bring a date to this dance, and I want you to come with me!"

". . . _What the hell Mikan?"_

"You don't understand, Ryo!" Mikan desperately cried, "Please do this for me!"

"_Did it ever occur you I might be with my girlfriend on Valentine's Day?"_

Mikan furrowed her eyebrows, "Wait, what? You have a girlfriend?"

"_Not yet I don't, but soon enough I will." _Mikan didn't miss the cockiness in her brother's voice, and couldn't help roll her eyes. _"Mikan, I don't know why you need me to be there but—"_

"Ryo. I need you to be my fake boyfriend."

"_What?"_

"Just hear me out! Besides, Hyuuga already thinks you're my boyfriend, so I need you to be there and dance with me—"

"_Slow down and explain."_

Mikan sighed, and started to carefully tell the story of Natsume Hyuuga, and how he had seen the picture of Ryo and assumed it was her boyfriend.

"_Let me get this straight. You want me to come to Third Round, meaning I have to come all the way to Tokyo just for one night, so you could dance with me? So you can get this Natsume Hyuuga jealous?"_

"Mhmm!"

A sigh was heard from the other side of the line, _". . . Mikan—"_

"Okay, I should add this!" Mikan huffed, "I need you to come because Hyuuga has made this bet with his friends! He's betted that he'll bang me that night!"

"_WHAT."_

Mikan grinned; she knew her brother being overprotective over her might come in useful one day. "It's true! So I need you to be around me so he'll back off and you can protect me!"

"_You're sixteen—"_

"Dude, it's legal for me to have sex now—"

"_That doesn't mean you have to do it now! You'll just get preg—"_

"Did I ever say I was going to, Ryo? Honestly! And besides, you're going off the point! Will you please come, or no?"

Ryo kept silent for a bit, and Mikan groaned before she added, "Come on, it'll be fun! I haven't seen you for ages! You can meet all my new friends—who I should add are _all _really pretty, and why wouldn't you want to come up to Tokyo? I mean, I don't like this city, but I'm sure you would—you always go on about how you would love to live in the city!" Ryo was _still _silent. That's when Mikan let out a bottled up breath, "Ryo, I should also say, when Hyuuga's mentioned you in one of his songs."

"_What?"_

"The song was dedicated to me, and here's the line about _you_: 'Somebody told me, you—as in _me—_had a boyfriend, who looks like a girlfriend that I had in February last year.' He knew what you looked like because of the picture of you and me."

There was a pause before Ryo exploded to Mikan's delight, _"That shit-brain! He thinks I look_ _like a girl_? _Who the hell does he think he is?"_

Mikan inwardly smiled. Her brother had cracked.

"_Valentine's Day, right? Yeah, I'll be there. For sure."_

Mikan whooped before she said, "Thank you, thank you, thank you! I owe you, Ryo!"

"_Later, Mikan. And stay away from that bastard!"_

Mikan hung up, and lazily threw her phone on her bed. She let out a breath before she lightly smiled; she really did miss her toerag of a brother. Now that was all sorted out, Mikan headed back to the living room to announce to all her friends that the plan was going well so far as Ryo had agreed to it. No-one seemed happier than Permy about this news, who gushed, "Perfect! Now he can really see you dance with his enemy!"

"An enemy's enemy is a friend." Mikan quoted, before she sat back down on the couch with a satisfied sigh.

But two pairs of eyes were glancing at Permy though, suspicion carved in their irises. Something, they both concluded mentally, was not right.

**0**

A few days had passed, and Mikan did her best in avoiding Natsume; she made sure that she was with one of her friends at _all _times and stayed in her rooms in her free time, knowing it was safe in there. Besides, she didn't complain; staying in her room meant she had been working on her Third Round piece constantly. Mikan had finally gotten her hook and chorus of her song set—and hell she was proud of her work.

When Aoi read her lyrics along with Nonoko, she laughed, "Dedicated to my brother _again?_"

"He deserves this!"

Then Nonoko threw her head back and giggled, while she patted Mikan's back, "You know what, Mikan? All of your songs so far are dedicated to Hyuuga!"

Mikan was horrified when she realized this was true.

So in a nutshell, Mikan was pretty much finished with her piece and she was safe, tucked away in her room, and if not in her room, a friend stuck to her side.

Except for that Saturday evening.

"Come _on_, one of you! Please come down to the vending machine with me! I really need a can of Sprite!"

"Sorry, we're watching A Walk To Remember! And it's the good bit!" were Nonoko and Anna's excuse.

"I'm sketching _your _outfit for the next Round! Sorry!" apologized Aoi.

"Mikan, look at my face." Permy muttered, trying not to show any emotion, "I have a facemask on. And I can't rinse it for another fifteen minutes! I can't possible go down to the vending machine were _people _might see me—I look like Princess Fiona!"

And Hotaru's pathetic excuse was, "I'm eating. And I can't be bothered to go down—I'm already in my pajamas."

"Yeah, so am I!" Mikan whined, as she pointed to her clothing—a pair of pink hot pants, and a grey hoodie that read OXFORD UNIVERSITY. Her hair was tied up messily in a bun at the top of her face was completely make-up-less. "Come on Hotaru, it'll be like two minutes! And you're my best friend!"

"Mikan, it's a Saturday evening, nine o'clock to precise. I am not going down—downstairs will be flocked with hormonal teenagers trying to get laid on this Saturday night."

"Yeah, it might be like that in the common room, but it'll be completely safe in the vending machine area!"

"No."

So, Mikan ended up going downstairs on her own. She muttered curses under her breath as the elevator took her down to the Ground Floor—the handyman had _finally _fixed the elevator the day before after much wait, and Mikan couldn't be more thankful; going up and down flights of stairs was not a great way to start a morning.

The elevator dinged to be followed by the doors sliding open. Mikan peered outside the elevator cautiously, and when she saw the coast was clear, she made her way to the vending machine.

_Stupid Hotaru! _Mikan mentally laughed as she pushed the button only to see her can of Sprite fall down, _Like I thought, nobody would be here!_

Mikan knelt down and plucked her can of coke out of the vending machine, but then she felt her body stiffen when she heard the main door open and then click close. She felt dread drown her body when she heard footsteps behind her; and for some reason, she already knew who it was.

She turned around, to confirm it. And Mikan's face fell when she saw she was right.

"Polka—"

Mikan stood up, and quickly turned around—her plan was to stay away from Hyuuga—not to casually chitchat with him like nothing was wrong. She walked away from him, but hell did she want to beat the crap out of Hyuuga! She wanted to make it clear she was not just a whore he would bang so easily, worse, she was _not _an object he could just bet on.

"Oi—" she heard him walk behind her, and he even had the nerve to hold onto her wrist!

Mikan felt a rush of emotion, and before she could stop herself, she whipped her hand around, and roughly pushed his hand away while she hissed, "Don't touch me, Hyuuga!"

"Don't ignore me, Polka." Natsume replied easily, his voice gravelly and low. "I haven't seen much of you these days. You don't come down here as often as you used to."

Mikan raised her eyebrows, "What, so you came down here this evening in hope to bump into me?"

"No, I was smoking." Natsume answered without hesitation, as he inclined his head towards the door that led outside, "They have smoke-detection in this building."

"And thank the _Lord _they do, or else this school will stink of nasty fumes, which _you _smell like at the moment!" Mikan pushed Natsume away from her, with her nose crinkled as she added, "God, I hate the smell!"

"So you don't like smokers, I take it?" Natsume said as he looked down at Mikan with an amused smirk on his face. He stepped forward, getting rid of the space between them. "Tell me, what else do you not like in your men, mm?"

Mikan damned the Gods for making Natsume Hyuuga's voice so damn sexy for a fraction of a second as she felt heat rise to the back of her neck. Nevertheless, Mikan managed to keep a stony look on her face and she answered, "I hate—no, _loathe_—boys who make bets about a girl." After throwing Natsume a furious pointed look, Mikan swiveled around and made her way to the elevators. She called for the elevator by pushing the button rather viciously, and she impatiently tapped her foot as she waited for the elevator to come.

Suddenly, she felt someone stand beside her, and with her hazel eyes narrowed, Mikan snapped her head only to see Natsume Hyuuga standing beside her.

"What are you doing?"

"I need to use the elevators to get to my room, right?" He droned as he cocked an eyebrow at her.

Mikan groaned and couldn't help feeling a bit anxious—being alone in an elevator is the last thing she wanted. When the ding came only to be followed by the doors sliding open, Mikan quickly clambered into the elevator, and when Natsume tried to step in, she said, "No. Sorry mate, but get the next one."

Natsume raised his eyebrows, before amusement danced in his eyes, and with a smirk he said, "Why, you scared I might do something to you in the elevator?"

"Yeah, I am." Mikan answered, "I don't want to take the same elevator as you because I know you're a hormonal psycho player who might try do something funny to me in the elevator! Especially when I'm dressed in my pajamas, and I'm not wearing a—" Mikan shut her mouth, and left the sentence unfinished. Natsume cocked his head to the side, urging her to finish what she was saying, but Mikan, looking a bit flushed concluded, "You're not coming on this elevator with me."

_Especially when I'm dressed in my pajamas and I'm not wearing a bra._

Sure, Mikan was wearing a baggy teeshirt and a hoodie on top . . . but she couldn't help feel somewhat naked without her bra—especially when there was a guy around whose name happened to be Natsume Hyuuga. And especially when this was they guy who supposedly wanted to 'claim' her.

Mikan pressed the button of the number floor her room was situated before she turned to Natsume and said, "Later, Hyuuga."

And just as the doors were closing—literally, just when there was a gap left, to Mikan's horror, Natsume had smoothly turned sideways, and slid into the gap, entering the elevator along with Mikan. He smirked victoriously before he pressed number '6' along with the 'Close' button.

Mikan looked at him with her mouth agape, but then she blinked, and scowled while she tightly crossed her arms across her shoulders; feeling a bit more safe when she did so. "You're unbelievable."

"I'd prefer to be called _skilled_, but cheers for that."

Mikan groaned, and glanced up at the screen that told them they were still on the Ground Floor. _Come on, come on, come on! _She chanted repeatedly in her mind—she wanted to get off this elevator as soon as possible and that meant she wanted to get off this elevator _now_, especially since Natsume was gazing at her, which made Mikan feel extremely uncomfortable and extremely vulnerable. And for some reason, extremely self conscious—unnecessary questions such as, _Do I look fat in these hot pants? _or _Does my hair look greasy? _ran wildly in her mind. Did Natsume Hyuuga _have _to be so damn good-looking—I mean, come on, he's only wearing jeans, sneakers, a chain-necklace and a no-sleeve black top that fitted tightly on him, which definitely on the casual side, but he still managed to look so bloody incredible.

The screen then changed, and from the letter 'G' changed into the number '1'; informing them they were passing the first floor at the moment.

All of a sudden the elevator jolted.

"What the hell—" Natsume mumbled, and he unconsciously clutched onto the handrail in the elevator, while Mikan on the other hand felt panic suffocate her, and _she, _unaware of it, _jumped _and held onto Natsume's arm, her head pressed against his biceps.

And then the lights flickered.

And then the elevator came to complete halt.

And then the lights were completely off.

Then Mikan screamed.

**0**

"No, no, no, _nooooooo!_" Mikan wailed, as she hit the door of the elevator, "Open – you - stupid - fat - ugly - cold door!" She banged harder, because she let out a frustrated groan, "This is such a joke! This only happens in _movies!"_

They were stuck in a lightless elevator, alone. And so far, they were the _only_ two people who knew what situation they were in.

"Well, this is real Polka." Natsume replied, as he sighed while rubbing the bridge of his nose. Mikan was crouched in front of the elevator doors, still in hope for someone to hear them, while Natsume sat on the floor of the elevator, in the back. He warily looked down at his phone once again, only to see he still had no reception. He growled in the back of his throat, before he snapped his phone shut, letting the light that emitted from it to completely disappear and the darkness to engulf them.

"No!" Mikan cried, as she turned to face him, only to see pitch black, "Please keep your phone open—it's so dark!" She heard a sigh before she saw a bright light flashing from the back of the elevator, as well as Natsume's face, which was a ghostly white thanks to the light on his phone. His jaw was clenched, his lips thinned and he was sucking the insides of his cheek.

Mikan gave him a weak smile in thanks, before she rested her head on her knees, her arms covering her. She sniffled, "You swear you didn't plan this?"

"For the hundredth time, yes." Natsume curtly replied. "I _swear _I didn't plan this."

". . . Are we going to die?"

Natsume snorted, "Polka, we've only been here two minutes."

Mikan whirled her head to face him and hysterically said, "And that two minutes can turn into hours! And those hours can turn into days! And those days can turn into weeks! And those weeks to months! And those months to years! And those years to centuries! And those centuries to . . ." She paused. "To what, Hyuuga? What do centuries turn into?"

Natsume stood up; a determined yet tired look dawned on his face.

"Hyuuga . . .?"

Natsume stepped towards the panel of buttons, and facing his phone screen to the panel, he inspected it carefully. Then, his eyes narrowed, and he looked down at Mikan, who in return was looking up at him, her big hazel eyes gleaming with tears.

"Polka, I thought you said this bloody panel didn't have a 'Call for Emergency' button."

"It didn't."

"Then _why_ do I see one?"

". . . Really?" Mikan gasped, as she clumsily stood up besides Natsume, to see him glaring at her, his long slender finger pointing to a button with a drawing of a phone on it.

"Hyuuga, that's a _phone_. It doesn't say 'Call for Emergency' on it, silly!" She laughed, but then when she looked up in his face, and saw him dangerously looking down at her, Mikan immediately stopped laughing and swallowed.

"It's the _same_ thing." Natsume slowly informed, his lips curling.

Mikan blinked. ". . . Oh."

**0**

"This is the reception, and you have called for emergency. May I ask you—"

"_Yeah, we're stuck in the elevator."_

The receptionist blinked before she repeated, "You are _stuck _in the elevator?"

The voice on the other line replied in an clipped tone, _"That's what I said, wasn't it?"_

". . . I-I'll call for the teachers, Headmasters and a handyman straight away! May I ask, what is the situation in there?"

"_The elevator's completely dead and—"_

The receptionist heard a frantic voice from the other line, a voice that did not belong to the boy she was talking to earlier; _"It's completely pitch black!_" The voice was high-pitched, and whoever the girl was that said this was obviously scared.

"Understood. May I ask for your names, please?"

"_Natsume Hyuuga and—"_

"_Mikan Sakura! Please be quick!"_

**0**

"Where do you think Mikan is?" Anna asked worriedly as she looked at all of her friends, "I feel really bad now for not going down to the vending machine with her!"

"I'm sure she's fine! She's only been ten minutes!" Permy airily said, as she fanned her face, trying to get her moist facemask to dry, "She probably got distracted knowing that girl!"

"I hope you're right!" Aoi commented as she bit her lips. Somehow, she had a bad feeling.

A bad feeling indeed.

Hotaru groaned, and she turned her narrowed amethyst eyes in the direction of the front door before she said, "What is all the commotion about? All I've been able hear for the last couple of minutes are people stampeding down the corridor and shouting."

"It's a Saturday night, what do we expect?" Nonoko laughed, but nevertheless, she turned he volume to the television up.

Suddenly, Aoi stood up and all of her friends watched her with their eyebrows furrowed. "I'm going to see what the hell is going on out there. I'll be right back!"

The girls nodded in comprehension, and focused their attention back on the telly. Aoi sighed as she made her way to the front door, and when she tentatively opened the door, she saw a couple of students dashing down the hall. She stepped out into the hall herself, and wedged her foot between the doorframe and the door itself to prevent it from closing when she called, "Hey! What's going on?"

The three running girls stopped running and turned around to look at Aoi before their eyes widened, "You're Aoi Hyuuga, right?"

"Yeah . . ."

They gasped, before one of the girls announced, "You're friend, Mikan Sakura, and your brother Natsume Hyuuga are stuck in the elevator!"

"_WHAT."_

"Yeah, Hanako just called me—the elevator is jammed, and it's stuck in between the first and second floor! Everybody's making their way to the first and second floor right now! You know, in hope to talk to them and ask them what's going on—we're going to see if Natsume can hear our voices and most of the guys have gone down because of your friend—she's quite popular you know!"

"What are the teachers doing about it?" Aoi asked, desperate to get some more information and not caring about some of the waffle this girl had just told her.

Another girl, who had glasses perched on her nose, who looked very smart answered, "I heard that Mr. Prince, some other teachers, and Crimson Abyss members and manager are downstairs in the reception, trying to get a handyman."

"Thanks!" Aoi said, as she smiled at the three girls, who all smiled back in return. Aoi stepped back into their dorm to see the three girls sprinting down the hall and down the stairs, and once Aoi had closed the door behind her, she did the same; she sprinted to the living room.

"Guys—"

"Let me guess, there's free beer downstairs and this is what all the commotion is about?" Permy snickered as she gently touched her masked face.

"No! Guys, it's about Mikan and Natsume!"

Immediately, all of her friend's head snapped towards her, their eyes wide. "They're stuck in the elevator!"

"WHAT?"

"Come on guys, we have to get downstairs to reception! Quickly!"

"Oh my God!" Anna and Nonoko cried, as they sprung up from the couch, and quickly made their way to the front door.

"B-But my facemask—"

"_Now, _Permy!" Aoi commanded, as she pushed Permy in the direction of the door.

"Mikan . . ." Hotaru muttered under the breath worriedly, as the girls made their ways to the flight of stairs. Hotaru felt guilt creep up her back; if she hadn't said no to Mikan maybe none of this would have happened—but the guilty feeling was nothing compared to the worried feeling she felt in her bones.

**0**

"An _hour?_" Ruka gasped incredulously, "It will take an _hour _for them to get out? What, why? Why so long?" Ruka Nogi was a boy that normally didn't show anger, but at the moment, he couldn't it seeping out; his best friend was stuck in an elevator with no light and Mr. Prince had just informed them it'd be another sixty minutes till they could get out.

"The handyman will take around thirty minutes to arrive, and it will take another thirty minutes approximately for him to fix it." Mr. Prince explained, as he sighed.

"It's not the same handyman who _fixed _the elevator in the first place, was it?" Ruka sneered, "Because obviously he had no idea what he was doing."

"Have you told them about the situation?" Ms. Serina asked the receptionist, who shook her head in reply and answered, "Mr. Jinno said that if we are constantly on the Emergency line, it might lose battery, so I have told Mr. Hyuuga and Miss Sakura to call me if anything happens."

Silence followed, before Kitsune-me mumbled, "This is sure causing a hell of a commotion—can you hear all of the other students?"

"Shall I send them back to their rooms?" Mr. Reo suggested as he warily looked at Mr. Prince, "Their screaming is giving me a headache."

"Yeah, I'm sure it's giving Natsume one too." Ruka said as he fell down on one of the chairs in the reception room.

"Who could blame them for all the screaming, eh?" Koko said, as he goofily smiled, "I mean, it's Natsume Hyuuga! And he's stuck with Mikan Sakura—the new girl whose caught so many hearts in the short time she's been here, including Natsume's attention! It's a scandal!" He smiled, before he suggestively wiggled his eyebrows, "Besides, I bet Natsume's not complaining! He's with her, isn't he? Like alone in the dark! I bet he's loving it!"

The teacher's faces all paled, except for Mr. Reo who raised his eyebrows in amusement. Tobita Yuu, the manager of Crimson Abyss twitched, Ruka sighed, and Kitsune-me threw his head back with laughter.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and the receptionist called, "Come in." and in response, the door opened, and in came in five girls, each with a worried look on their faces.

"Sir—about Mikan—"

"Is she alright?"

"Is it true she's stuck with my brother?"

A stream of questions flowed instantly as these five girls came in, and Mr. Prince put his hand up in order to stop them all talking at once. Once all their mouths were shut close, Mr. Prince sighed, "I'm afraid Miss Sakura is indeed stuck in the elevator with Mr. Hyuuga—"

"'S right! They're together, alone in the dark!" Koko added with mirth.

Anna and Nonoko gasped, and clasped their hands over their mouth, Permy twitched which resulted in part of her face mask to crumble, Aoi looked at Mr. Prince, hoping he would deny what Koko had just said.

"How long will it take till the get out?" Hotaru asked.

"An _hour._" Ruka Nogi informed, his voice stony and etched with annoyance.

"What?" Hotaru skeptically said, her amethyst eyes wide, "That's preposterous, ridiculous! How can it take an _hour—"_

"Believe me, I've said exactly the same things you're saying and it hasn't done anything." Ruka bitterly commented, as he interrupted Hotaru. At first Hotaru narrowed her gaze at him, but then she sighed in defeat, "Is there any way I can talk to her?"

The receptionist explained to the girls how there is an emergency call line in the elevator, but also added the fact that they should use it only if anything happens. Hotaru understood, and said no more, and just sat down along with her other friends, hoping this nightmare would end soon.

"Hey, Princess Fiona!"

Permy stiffened, as she immediately glared at Koko, who laughed, "Lookin' good in your pajamas, I see!"

Kitsune-me was the _only _one who laughed along, while the rest of them sighed. And whilst Permy shrieked in frustration.

**0**

"We've been here fifteen minutes, Hyuuga! Are you _sure _we're not going to die?"

Natsume rolled his eyes, as he twirled his phone in his hand, "More than sure."

Mikan sighed, and she started to drum her fingers on the cold floor of the elevator, "I hope you're right."

Natsume could hear in her voice that Mikan was scared, and he could also see the way she was sitting was in such a hopeless, sad way, it even made _him _feel a bit disgruntled just by looking at her. "Look, Polka," she looked at him, her eyes still gleaming with tears, "can you hear all of that?"

Mikan blinked, before she closed her eyes to let her ears listen carefully. ". . . I can hear people." She murmured.

"Calling _our _names." Natsume added, "We're going to get through this. This is nothing to get worked up about. And quit shaking."

Mikan lightly laughed before she replied, "I'm not trembling out of fear, Hyuuga. I-I'm cold; wearing hot pants to bed is something I'm never going to do again, especially in the winter."

Natsume, the phone still in his hand, slid over towards Mikan, and when Mikan widened her eyes, he just raised his eyebrow and said, "Relax, I'm not going to do anything to you." While he put his strong arm around Mikan's shoulder, and pulled her closer to his chest. "Doing it on a freezing floor isn't my style anyway."

Normally, Mikan would have scoffed in disgust, but this once, she was glad Natsume had said that, as it made her laugh.

"You're still shaking."

". . . Maybe I am scared. Just a bit . . ."

Natsume tightened his arm around Mikan, and she put her head on his chest and sniffled, "B-but I'm glad that I'm here with someone."

"Feeling's mutual." Natsume murmured as he started to gently caress her arm with his hands; he could tell she was crying by now; her silence was enough evidence as well as her watery hiccups.

". . . Even if that someone _is _you."

Natsume stopped caressing her, and pulled her away from him, to see Mikan childishly laugh, her eyes sparkling with tears. And to be honest, Natsume felt his pulse weirdly fasten when he saw her tear-stained face—Mikan's hair might be a mess now—she had let it down, so it fell down in waves, and her nose might have been a bit red from crying but she looked so pure and so innocent, and the way his phone light shone of her face, she looked angelic.

Natsume raised an eyebrow, "So what's so bad about me? Is it just the fact that I dated one of your friends and broke up with her that makes you dislike me?"

"That's one reason, sure."

"Hey, I have my reasons for dumping her. She's beautiful—I'll give her that, but so are many other girls. Your friend just wasn't the one for me. She was more of a fan than a girlfriend, and hell she was clingy—when I first told us we were over, she just didn't believe it. _That's _what made me really pissed because she'd follow me like a lost puppy which resulted in me snapping that I broke up with her because she was boring."

". . . So you only said that so she would hate you and then she would stop following you around?"

"She was embarrassing herself by following me."

"Permy never told me that . . . b-but that was still mean, Hyuuga!" Mikan added on second thoughts. Her first thought were originally her thinking that maybe Permy was exaggerating how horrible Natsume was. But then her eyes narrowed when she remembered something.

"You want to know what else I don't like about you, Hyuuga?"

"Go on." He dared, his eyebrows raised.

"The fact that you made a bet with your friend about how you were going to bang me the night of the Third Round."

Natsume's eyes narrowed, and his eyebrows furrowed, "What?"

Mikan sarcastically laughed, "Don't you deny it—"

"Why the hell would I make a bet with my friends on when I'm planning to bang you? I don't make it a habit to tell people about my sex life." But then with a smirk Natsume added, "But I _do_ plan to do it with you one day."

Mikan crinkled her nose, and she poked Natsume in the ribs as she declared, "You're nasty!"

Natsume let out a throaty laugh, but then he seriously looked into Mikan's eyes and said, "I don't know where you heard that from, but I can tell you it's not true. It's up to you whether you believe me or not."

Mikan looked up at Natsume, and peered into his eyes, trying to figure out if he was lying or not—but all she saw was a row of thick black eyelashes surrounding his beautiful crimson eyes. Her cheeks immediately flushed, when she suddenly saw his crimson eyes flicker down at her, and gaze at her. She looked down to look at her lap as she stammered, "I-I . . . guess I believe you." But did that mean she doesn't trust Permy?

"Hey,"

Mikan looked up, "Ye—"

She was caught completely off guard when Natsume Hyuuga kissed her cheek. Her eyes widened, and the kiss only lasted less than a second, but to Mikan it felt like minutes. Hesitantly she looked up at Natsume who had an unreadable expression on his face. Suddenly, Mikan felt embarrassment overwhelm her, and she bit her lips, feeling heat creep up from the back of her neck, all the way to her cheeks.

"How much did you cry, Polka?"

Mikan looked up, "E-excuse me?"

Natsume licked his lips before he stated, "Your cheeks are so salty."

Immediately Mikan's already-flushed face turned even pinker and she managed to say, "I-I—that's not of your business!" before she pushed her bony shoulder in his torso. Natsume only smirked, feeling nothing through her action—she really was weak. But he himself felt a bit confused—he didn't know what had possessed him to kiss her on the cheek just now. It was just . . . when he saw her face when she was curiously looking at him, he just couldn't help himself because she looked so damn—

"Shit."

"What? What?" Mikan frantically asked. "What happened, Natsume?"

"Low Battery." Natsume murmured, and before Mikan could reply, Natsume's phone blinked, and then turned completely off.

"_Noooooooooo!"_

"Shhhh, Polka, calm down."

"It's completely pitch black now!" Mikan squeaked, and Natsume could feel Mikan squirm in his arms, "I know!" She suddenly gasped, "You were smoking right? Your lighter! Use your lighter—"

"And make the fire bell ring and the sprinklers go off? I don't think so, Polka."

"No, no . . . no!" Mikan mumbled, as then she tucked her head between her legs, "I hate the dark . . ." She felt tears well up in her eyes, and before she could control herself, big fat tears were rolling down her cheeks.

That's when she felt Natsume's arm bring her even closer to his chest—if possible. His grip on her arm was just tighter too. "I hate the dark too, Mikan." He murmured, and Mikan widened her eyes in surprise.

"Y-You said my name—"

"So did you."

At first Mikan furrowed her eyebrows and was about to say something along the lines, 'Um, no I didn't!' but then she realized, in fact, she _did. "What happened, Natsume?" _she has asked.

". . . That was unconscious! While you did it consciously, knowing it would surprise me!"

"It surprised you?" Natsume laughed throatily.

Mikan opened her mouth, and then shut it. But then she quietly asked, "You hate the dark too?"

"More than anything else."

Mikan slightly whimpered, and then she squeaked, when she felt something touch her hand. "Shh, it's just me." Natsume assured her, and then, she felt his slender fingers take her hand, "Just take my hand. And close your eyes—this nightmare will all be over soon."

And Mikan believed him again. She entwined her fingers with his, and held tightly onto his hand.

**0**

**End Of Chapter**

**0**


	17. You And Me

**Disclaimer:** Five words: I don't own Alice Gakuen.

**0**

**My Happy Ending  
**_**by Little Miss Giggle**_

**0**

**Chapter Fifteen: You And Me**

**0**

_I don't need no superman, with special powers and a fake tan,_  
_to try and save the day for me._  
_Why can't he just let me be?_

**0**

With her eyes closed, Mikan gently hummed to herself, swaying to the rhythm of the unknown song she was murmuring. As she softly swayed from side to side, she was also moving Natsume's hand that was tightly in her clutches back and fro, as well as whenever she would oscillate in the direction of his torso, she would press into it. Not that Natsume minded. He was actually finding the whole thing rather amusing. Holding Mikan's hand just as tightly, he had one of his legs bent up, and his other unoccupied hand was lazily draped on it.

"Say, Natsume," Mikan suddenly said, her voice slightly breaking Natsume out of his hazy, sleepy trance, "how long do you suppose we've been in here for now?"

Natsume was silent for a while, but then Mikan heard him click his neck—which made her inwardly wince, and a shuffle of his foot before his gravelly voice answered, "I would say around twenty, thirty minutes. I don't know."

"What, really? That long?" Mikan gasped, "Do you really the repairman's here yet?"

"Give it another couple of minutes and we should be out of here."

Mikan smiled in content, not that anybody could see it, and then yawned, "I'm going to praise the Lord when we get out of here! With my eyes closed, it's so weird . . . it's like my hearing is ten times better! Hey, maybe this is what it's like to be blind!"

"Well no shit."

Mikan lightly laughed, before she let out a small sigh. She lay her head down, and it was only when she heard a low yet steady beat did she realize she was laying on Natsume's chest—the beat being his heart beat. When she thought about it, she did wonder why the elevator walls had suddenly gotten so warm, for a fraction of a second.

"Oh, sorry Natsume!" Mikan exclaimed as she pulled her head up, "I didn't—"

"It's fine."

With a smile plastered on her face, she rested her head back down on Natsume's chest. She had _really _misjudged Natsume, Mikan came to realize, like seriously. A couple of hours ago, never in a million years would she had expected her night to end like this! . . . A couple of hours ago would have been snack time . . . which would have meant macaroons—

"What you thinking about now?" Natsume asked, interrupting Mikan from her thoughts.

A buttery smile crossed Mikan's face, "Macaroons!"

Something between a scoff and a snort was heard from Natsume before he commented, "Figures. Whenever you're thinking of things such a food you start playing with my fingers."

"_What?_ I do?" Mikan's mouth was wide open, and she couldn't help feeling shocked, amused and embarrassed by her rather odd actions. "Seriously?"

"Yeah. That just shows how much of an endless pit your stomach is."

"Cheers." Mikan sarcastically muttered. "Hey, but what do I do when—"

"Whenever you're like, 'We're gonna die!' you tighten your grip like a bloody vice."

Mikan laughed before she double-checked, "Okay, so you're saying whenever I'm happy I apparently _play _with your fingers, and when I'm not feeling too great, I squeeze your hands?" Mikan didn't bother with his reply, because she couldn't help find her new bizarre unconscious behavior rather hilarious. "Okay, okay, okay! I'm thinking about a sheep now! So, what are my fingers doing then, huh?"

"Tightening."

Mikan tilted her head back slightly before a laugh erupted from her mouth, "What the hell? I'm so freaky!" Natsume didn't reply, but Mikan heard a snicker above her and couldn't help smile when she heard it. It felt good to make Natsume Hyuuga laugh—probably because it feels like a hell of achievement. I mean, this dude never laughs or smiles unless he's with his friends! He's notorious for his deathly glare and blank yet rugged expressions. Silence followed after Mikan's laughter died down, and her thoughts wandered in her mind as she vaguely listened to the beating of Natsume's heart.

"Hey, tell me something Natsume . . . Why aren't you and Aoi close?"

The silence returned and just when Mikan thought he wouldn't reply to the question, Natsume deadpanned, "Why do you ask?"

Mikan shrugged, "Well because I think it's really sad. And after being stuck here with you in this goddamn thing, I don't think you're too bad. So I just don't understand why Aoi—no offence—dislikes you so much! . . . Unless you have like an alter ego or something."

"There's just . . . things in the past you can't change."

"You know what I propose?" Mikan paused for him to say something, but when he didn't she continued, "I suggest you talk to her! Give her more attention as a sister—seriously, not only deserves it, but I think she wants it! I can tell—and whenever we talk about you, there's always this . . . _gleam _of sadness in her eyes—"

"So you _do _talk about me, eh?"

Mikan blinked, a bit confused, but then when her brain analyzed Natsume's previous sentence, and deciphered his extremely cocky tone, she scoffed and said, "I'm being seri—ACHOOOOOO!"

Natsume was completely off guard when Mikan did the-biggest-sneeze-of-her-life and even swore under his breath when she did. And then, there was a moment of silence before Mikan erupted in laughter. "A-anyway!" she said through laughter, "I-I-I'm being serious!"

Natsume snorted, "Yeah. Sure, serious."

"I _was _being serious till I sneezed!" Mikan giggled. Unknown and unseen to Mikan, Natsume was ever-so slightly smiling at this point, finding this girl in his arms very . . . indescribable. Odd would have been a close word, but so would have fascinating. And while in thought, he realized that she was starting to play with his fingers _again_.

". . . We should hang out some more . . ."

Natsume blinked, before he looked down in the direction of Mikan, only to see darkness to his annoyance, before he said, "What?"

"I-I mean," Mikan shifted in her spot before she continued, "I mean you—. . .you, me and Aoi! And my all my roommates, as well as your roommates! It'll be fun—"

"Until Shouda kicks me in the balls."

Mikan was about to comment on how that wasn't true when something hit her fast and hard. It was completely true; Permy would never go out on a group outing where Natsume was—she hates him! She realized then she could never be close to Permy if she was friends with Natsume. And its _always _hoes over bros, chicks over dicks, buds over studs, right? It's written in the Law of Girls for crying out loud! And Permy _was _her friend—she was probably just touchy when talking about Natsume because she wanted to protect Mikan!

. . . That had to be it!

". . . Natsume, let go of me when the lights turn on and the elevator starts moving?" There was no reply, only silence, but Mikan felt it was urging her on, so she explained, "It's not that I don't like it—believe me, I know how much your ego will inflate when I say this but I am so warm right now—it's just, think of all the commotion that'll happen when the elevator doors open and we're . . . you know!" Mikan felt a slight blush cross her face but the finished off, "T-The people at this school live on gossip, and the reaction of all my—_our _friends—"

"You didn't strike me as one who cares what people think of them." Was Natsume's blunt observation.

"And _you _didn't strike me of actually being cuddly!" Mikan blurted out, regretting it almost immediately. _Great choice of word, _she thought bitterly to herself, _you are so embarrassing. Cuddly? _"A-anyway! Generally I don't. I don't care what people think of me, but I care what my _friends _think of me. No offence, but I don't want to lose them over an argument you had in the past among them. Well, two of them." Mikan concluded, and waited for Natsume's answer.

". . . Drama is the last thing I want right now, so it might be a good idea after all."

Even though she knew he couldn't see her, she nodded anyway, and reluctantly let go of Natsume's hand, regretting it also immediately—she didn't realize how warm his hands were until she left them. But then, she felt warmth engulf her hands again, and furrowing her eyebrows, she realized she was in the hands of Natsume again; his long slender fingers interlocking with hers.

"You said when the elevator lights turn on and it starts moving. I'm not letting you go till that happens."

Mikan smiled, and gladly let him take her hand, "We're like . . . secret friends, aren't we?" while she interlocked her fingers with his in return.

Natsume snorted, "That's so childish. And gay."

"But it's true!" Mikan firmly answered before she thoughtfully continued, "So, I'll carry on like I dislike you—still believing that you want to 'claim' me, and you'll continue being the bad-guy and—"

"Polka," Natsume interrupted, his voice low and gravelly—quiet too, almost a murmur, "stop thinking about tomorrow."

". . . Huh?"

"I'm telling you chill—let things fall into place on its own. Quit thinking—your brain probably can't handle it anyway."

Don't think about tomorrow? . . . Basically, 'live for the moment' said differently, maybe? Mikan scrunched up her eyebrows, Natsume really was a closed book; a puzzle with missing pieces; a conundrum; an unsolvable riddle—

"Hey! How dare you insult my brain!"

Natsume snickered, "Took you long enough."

**0**

"So," Hotaru said through gritted teeth, her amethyst eyes narrowed and dripping with vemon, "how is it?"

The repairman had finally come, and was currently looking into the problem of the elevator. But Hotaru was not impressed—he had spend five minutes, no _wasted _five minutes looking at the elevator model paper. Mr. Prince, some teachers, the members of Crimson Abyss and its manager, Hotaru and the rest of the girls along with the repairman were all downstairs in the basement, where the enormous box of wires and fuses for the elevator was kept. The basement of the Academy was, in one word, terrifying.

Dark, dingy yet spacious.

Anna held onto her twin at all times, watching a moth flutter backwards and forwards from the flickering light.

"_Weeeeeeeelll_, I'm not _exactly_ sure, but I _think_ there's a faulty bit in this elevator—"

"Of course!" Hotaru exclaimed in an exasperated tone.

"The elevator is _broken!_ Obviously it's faulty!" Ruka added, in an equally furious tone. Koko and Kitsune-me couldn't help twitch; Natsume had really rubbed off on Ruka without them realizing; they never knew the sweet and kind Ruka Nogi could be like this!

The repairman laughed before he said, "_Weeeeeeeeeeeelllll, _I _should _be able to fix it by morning—"

"Morning?" Both Ruka and Hotaru repeated at the same time. "Get it done before midnight!" Hotaru commanded in a stony voice while Ruka stated, "Natsume has practice tomorrow!"

"Hey, shouldn't Yuu be the one saying all this instead of Ruka . . .?" Kitsune-me murmured, which Koko answered to by nodding.

"And Mikan is stuck with Natsume Hyuuga in that bloody elevator!" Permy growled, as she stepped forward, looking fiercely into his eyes, "Do you know who that is, huh?" Without intending to give him a chance to reply, Permy carried on, "Natsume Hyuuga is the biggest—"

"Natsume Hyuuga?" The repairman suddenly gasped, pushing Permy aside, completely ignoring her. "Oh sure I know him! I love his band!"

"Well _dude,_ we _are _his bandmates!" Ruka hysterically announced, as he indicated to himself and Koko and Kitsune-me, who gave a grimace to the repairman, who now had stars in his eyes.

"A-and I'm their band manager!" Yuu squeaked, as he put his hand up slightly.

The repairman looked forward and backwards from Yuu and Crimson Abyss (minus one) in awe before his face cracked into a huge smile, "Say, can I have an autograph?"

"Yeah, _after _you've done your work!" Ruka snapped.

"Wow. Nogi could run this school, huh, Sir?" Mr. Narumi chuckled to Mr. Prince who nodded in response. Never did any of the teachers know that Ruka Nogi had this in him. "Maybe we should just leave it to them?" he suggested, and Mr. Prince looked uncertain for a moment, but he and the rest of the teachers witnessed Ruka instruct—_order _the repairman again which resulted in Mr. Prince nodding his head to the teachers, and turn his head to the repairman and the handful of his students, "I'll leave it to you guys then! We'll be in the staff room!" before he turned back to the teachers and muttered, "Let's go! And Nogi also has Imai with him—they'll be fine!"

And with that, the teachers scuttered off back upstairs.

"Hey, that's _so_ wrong!" Koko commented, only for Anna and Nonoko to nod vigorously in agreement.

"Gee! I can't wait to get an autograph!" The repairman said, before he started to laugh, "Boy this girl must be lucky to be stuck with Natsume Hyuu—"

"No she's not! He's a perverted bastard!" Permy shrieked, but again, she was completely dismissed by him.

"—ga, especially in the dark, eh?" he threw his head back, and roared with a hyena-like laugh. Permy's face twitched, which resulted in _more _of her already gone green facemask to crumble off. She shook her head, and turned her back on him, while rubbing her temple.

"Just. Get. It. Done." Ruka said, his jaw clenched.

"Mmmhmmm, sure-di-dur—hey! Where did you get your—"

"NOW!" Ruka and Hotaru shouted, completely losing it by now. And nobody down in the basement blamed them—this repairman was definitely one of the most irksome man in the whole of Tokyo.

"Hey, do you guys know how much I'm getting paid for this—"

"_Oh move over you fool! I'll do it!" _Hotaru viciously snapped, as she roughly pushed him aside and snatching the toolbox away from his clutches.

"_And _I'll _help her!" _Ruka bit out, as he pushed the repairman just for good measures, who just blinked, obviously confused.

". . . Anybody up for a coffee?" Kitsune-me prompted, looking the rest of them, who all nodded in reply, and quickly they all scurried off, hearing the curses and bitching of the repairman from Hotaru and Ruka. "Hyuuga's best friend is sure scary . . ." Nonoko whispered to Permy and Anna, who nodded in reply while Koko whispered to Yuu and Koko, "Mikan Sakura's best mate is psychotic!"

**0**

"Okay, true or false—you prefer spicy to sweet?"

"Obviously true." Natsume replied, his tone of voice bored and tired.

"Mmm, I prefer sweet. I _only _have a sweet tooth!" Mikan remarked in an interested tone, before she asked, "Do you get itchy when you go to bookstores?"

"Who the hell does?" Natsume questioned, with his eyebrows raised.

"No way, you don't? I get so damn itchy _all over!"_

"You're so weird."

"Oooh! Another question: how many girlfriends have you _actually _had? I mean, I heard from Nana that you've had more than a hundred, but then Yuuki told me you've actually have had a couple of thousands! But I told that that's obviously bull because—"

"How do you know that's bullshit?"

". . . Oh my God, you're joking!" Mikan laughed, "It's true?"

"Nah." Natsume easily replied, in a humorous tone, which made Mikan's laughter double, but then Natsume said, "Four."

"Four what?"

"Four girlfriends, you idiot, what else?"

"Oh! . . . _Wait, what?_" Mikan's mouth hung open in complete shock. Okay, she never believed Yuuki, nor had she believed Nana either—Mikan thought the number of ex-girlfriends Natsume would have had was in double-digits! But four? "Four?" Mikan repeated.

"People assume that if I'm with a girl, she's my girlfriend. That's how I got the reputation of having so many girlfriends because as soon as I'm seen with some other girl, people immediately assume I've dumped my previous one. It doesn't help that each one of these girls claim that I actually asked them out to be my girlfriend."

"That, is hilarious I would have never guessed!" Mikan giggled, as she thought about it more deeply. Four. That's closer to five than ten! Bloody hell, Natsume Hyuuga was seriously misunderstood! "Speaking of your ex's, you've told me why you ended with Permy, now tell me, why d'you end it with Luna?"

"Because she's stupid." Natsume bluntly and curtly answered.

"And a complete bitch!" Mikan threw in.

"Yeah, and that."

"_And _as well as a Class A whore!"

". . . Now _that _I didn't mind."

Mikan crinkled her eyebrows, "Eugh, you're gross!"

Natsume throatily laughed before he said, "No, I agree, she was too much of a fucking skank. But I broke it off with her because she was a dumb blonde who didn't know anything about me except I was the lead singer of Crimson Abyss. That's the reason I broke it off with my other two ex's too. I also broke up with her because I came to fancy her friend, Shouda."

"Ah, so _that's _true."

"Shouda had brains unlike her friend; she always had her own opinion—I liked that. I didn't know by dumping Koizumi, Shouda in the long-run would be hurt too. But she's too tense, always on her toes. She was no fun and wasn't the girl I thought she was."

When Mikan thought about it, girls always feel used by boys. But what if Natsume felt used by girls? I mean, as well as being gorgeous, tall, muscular, Natsume was famous. People must use that for publicity and a five-minute-fame thing. "Okay, one more question."

"Promise it's the last one, eh?"

"It is, fear not!" Mikan laughed, before she fell silent. She thought about her question mentally for a second before she said, "I heard a rumour—"

"As all you girls do."

"—that you were going to play with Mochu in the Valentine's Dance." Mikan continued, ignoring Natsume's slight interruption. "But you declined. True or false?"

"True."

"Why?"

"I thought you said it was the last question—"

"Well, this last question has lots of parts to it!" Mikan childishly said, forcing Natsume to compromise with her decision, "What's the real reason though? The rumours are you said no because you thought it'll be taking the spotlight from him—"

"For once the rumour's true."

"Seriously?"

"I declined because it's his time in the spotlight, not mine—so why should me and my band mates have to play in his time?"

Natsume, Mikan came to the conclusion, was a pretty generous guy. "Did Mochu want you to play though?"

"He still does. He's persistent as hell—"

"Then you should play with him!" Mikan cried, "You're so lucky to even have an offer like that! And besides, this isn't about stealing the spotlight; it's about making the audience have an incredible night! And I know—we _all _know that the girls at this school and _beyond _wouldn't like anything better than to see their 'God' play a song or two with Mochu!"

There was silence, before Mikan heard something that sounded like a chuckle; an inward laugh; a quiet laugh—whatever you please to call it!—to be followed by Natsume state, "You're crazy."

"What? How am _I _crazy? Dude, _you're _the crazy one!" Mikan protested.

"Seriously, you're crazier." Natsume replied, his voice firm and gravelly, yet somehow filled with teasing tone.

"Maybe we're both crazy!" Mikan laughed, "Yeah, I bet people think we're crazy! . . . Crazy! That's like our saying, when I think about it!"

All of the sudden, the elevator viciously jolted. Mikan screamed, and buried her head in Natsume's torso, and Natsume's immediate reaction was to tighten his grip on Mikan, and bring his other arm around her, as if shielding her. Silence followed, and the only thing the two could hear was their own breath.

". . . W-What was that?"

"A jolt."

In a breathless voice, Mikan stammered, "T-That was so scary!" before she pressed her face closer to Natsume's chest.

"It just jolted." Natsume said. He had meant to say it to assure her, but somehow, the tone of voice he said it in was as if he were talking to a retard—well . . . one could argue Mikan was a retard.

"D-Don't act like _you _didn't freak!" Mikan shakily laughed, as she slightly pulled away from Natsume, "You squeezed my hand so bloody tightly when it jolted!"

"Shut it." Natsume curtly bit out.

Mikan stopped laughed, but Natsume narrowed his eyes and curling his lips droned, "Wipe that smile off your face."

"Oh my God, Natsume! You psychic? How did you know I was smiling?" Mikan gasped, completely surprised. "Wow, maybe you have a sixth sense like Hotaru—"

"I can tell because you're playing with my fingers." Natsume blandly pointed out. Mikan twitched, and immediately told her brain to stop playing with her fingers. She gave an awkward laugh when suddenly, the elevator jolted once again. The reaction was the same as before, but the only difference was the lights in the elevator started to flicker on.

"We're being rescued! Natsume, we're—" Mikan stop mid-sentence, when she felt Natsume push her away from his torso, as well as let go of her hand. Confused, she looked up at him, and realized it felt like ages she had seen Natsume properly, for the last hour or less, she had been talking to complete pitch-blackness. And hell was he beautiful. "Natsum—"

"That's Hyuuga to you. Polka, this was _your _idea, remember?"

Mikan blinked, completely confused, but then memories crept back on her and she recalled how she had asked Natsume to let go of her when the lights turned on and the elevator moved. But she was regretting it—she missed being in his embrace, as weird as that sounded to herself. "B-But, the elevator isn't moving yet, you said so yourself, it jolted—"

Natsume raised his eyebrows, "The way you're looking at me, and the tone of your voice, makes it seem like you almost _miss _it." Natsume stood up from the elevator floor to leave Mikan sitting on the ground, her eyes still down on the floor. It was strange how Natsume could easily go from being himself to someone else.

It was all a masquerade; Mikan knew it. Who knew about this mask, she didn't know, but Natsume Hyuuga has a constant mask on. A mask that shows him being a perverted bastard who's rude and cocky. But without the mask, he's . . . different, himself. Cocky too, but that's just in his nature! . . . But _why?_ Was he embarrassed of his true self? Or was there a deeper meaning?

"T-Thank you, H-Hyuuga." Mikan said. Natsume casted his down to her, to see her finally look up, her hazel eyes big, her skin porcelain, and her lips pink, "Thanks for everything tonight—I really do owe you."

Natsume nodded, but then he turned his gaze on the elevator door. He glared at it for a moment, before he turned back to Mikan, who was still looking at him, and crouched down beside her. "Even though it's gay and stupid, let's be, what you call, 'secret friends', eh, Polka?" he murmured to her.

Mikan was taken aback, but then a smile crossed her face and she nodded. She liked that idea. She liked it very much.

Natsume gave her a small smile, before he stood back up again, and walked to the other side of the elevator. And as if on cue, the elevator started to work—it was moving down—according to the screen, below the first floor—down to B . . . From the other side of the elevator, three voices could be heard. A voice that Natsume knew too well, a voice that _Mikan_ knew too well, and a voice that they both didn't recognize.

"Wow! You two sure are good—"

"About time!" Ruka Nogi exclaimed, interrupting the voice-they-did-not-recognize quite curtly.

"Hmm . . . it's twenty two minutes to twelve Nogi—we've done well." Hotaru reported.

Mikan's face lit up, "Hotaru!" she wailed, as she crawled over to the elevator door. "Hotaru!" she called again. And then there was the familiar ding sound. There was a pause before the door smoothly opened—showing the face of Hotaru Imai and Ruka Nogi, and a man that somewhat resembled Mario, from the game.

"Hotaru!" Mikan cried, as she sprung from the floor, up to her best friend. Mikan hugged her best friend, and was a bit surprised when she realized Hotaru was hugging her back, "I'm so glad you're alright, Mikan."

Natsume sighed in relief, glad to be out of the damned elevator. He threw his best mate a smirk as he walked out of it and said, "Did I miss anything?"

Ruka, who had been working his arse off for the last couple minutes, finally seemed like he could relax, _breathe_, and gave Natsume a smile while he replied, "You have no idea, mate."

"Oh em _geeeee! _Wow, it's Natsume Hyuuga!" the repairman squealed, breaking the 'mini reunion' mood. Hastily, he crammed his fingers in all his pockets, and Natsume watched him with his eyes narrowed, pull out a pen from one of his pockets, and hand it over to him. "Can you sign my butt?"

**0**

Once both Natsume and Mikan went up to the staffroom along with their best friends, and to their annoyance, the repairman, they reported that they were okay, Mr. Prince had announced to them that several magazine companies had called in to write an article about, 'Natsume Hyuuga stuck in an elevator with secret girlfriend!' to which Mikan twitched. Thankfully, Mr. Prince had sorted it all out.

Their secret friend plan, in their eyes, was going well. When Hotaru demanded to know if Natsume did anything to her, Mikan replied, "He was just being himself!"

It was all going smooth.

Or so they thought.

"Mikan!"

"Natsume!"

The four, who were now heading towards the stairs to go upstairs, turned around to see the running figures of the girls, Koko, Kitsune-me and Yuu. Mikan's face cracked into a smile, and squealing she went running to all of them, but regretted it when they all tackled her like in a rugby game.

"Natsume, you're okay!" Kitsune-me said.

"All is fine?" Yuu asked.

"Did you do anything?" Koko questioned, his eyes gleaming in a suggestive way.

"Oh, Mikan! We were so worried!" Aoi cried, "When someone told me, I felt so bad for not going with you—"

"Me too!" Anna exclaimed, "Are you alright? Was everything okay?"

"It must have been such a nightmare!" Nonoko commented, as she rubbed Mikan's back. "Complete nightmare!"

"Come on, sweetie! Let's go back to our room, and you can tell us everything there." Permy suggested, as she started to gently push Mikan in the direction of the stairs, completely ignoring Natsume on the way. Before Mikan completely lost sight of Natsume, their gazes connected, and she couldn't help the corner of her lips slightly turn.

**0**

The next day, the whole school was buzzing with gossip about the happenings of last night. People were talking about it all over the school—and crazy rumours were going around—some being that Mikan broke the elevator herself in order to be left together with Natsume Hyuuga in an elevator, or Natsume took his shirt off to give to Mikan because she was freezing. Some idiots were even claiming that they pressed their ear to the walls of Academy, and could hear Mikan's voice demand, "Harder, faster, harder!" That was probably the most outrageous, and the most spread rumour.

Rumour stated that Mikan Sakura and Natsume Hyuuga had sex in the elevator.

Ha.

When Mikan went down the next morning with Aoi, she was stunned when someone asked her if it were true. At first, her mouth hung open, but then she narrowed her eyes and snapped, "Of course not, you imbecile! Eww! I _just _turned sixteen!"

Mikan had explained what had happened friends the night before, as soon as they came back to their room; from how it all happened, to what occurred in the elevator. Her stories on what happened in the elevator were all lies though. She portrayed Natsume as being the guy they all thought he was. "Yeah, well, he probably didn't do anything to you because he was saving you for the Third Round," Permy evaluated. A part of Mikan wanted to say that she knew that Permy had made that up, and ask her _why _she came up with such a lie.

But she kept her lips sealed.

It was one o'clock in the afternoon, and Aoi, Mikan and Hotaru were in the living room, chatting carelessly while the television flickered on in the background. Suddenly, the girls heard the door open and close, and before they knew it, Permy had joined them in the living room. "I just ran into Yuu—oh he's so sweet! And so smitten over Anna, I tell you!"

"Yes, Yuu was lovely." Aoi agreed, as she nodded. "And so true about Anna."

"Right?" Permy laughed, "Anna won't believe a word I say!" Permy then fell onto the couch before she said, "They were all pretty nice . . . Kitsune-me's a cool guy, Yuu's sweet . . . and Koko, I still hold a string of hatred for him, but he is funny, I'll give him that."

"Funny? Oh, Permy, he could bring the house down! He's _hilarious!_"

"Yes, they were a nice bunch. And you and Nogi seemed to click well, mm, Hotaru? He's gorgeous!" Permy said, as she nudged Hotaru's legs. Hotaru shrugged and didn't bother to reply Permy sighed, before she said, "Too bad Hyuuga isn't nice like that. Hell, the _whole _school is talking about the whole thing—when I was coming up, girls in the corridor were whispering, 'That's Mikan Sakura's roommate and Natsume's ex-girlfriend!' Wish they'd go to hell and rot!"

Mikan laughed along with Aoi, and Permy managed to snigger at herself, before she slapped her hand on her thighs and stood back up, "Aoi, can you come to the grocery store with me?"

"Of course!"

Last night, the girls had decided, after the whole thing, that if they were _ever _going out, they would go in a group no less than two. Anna and Nonoko were currently out at the moment, sightseeing Tokyo. They had invited the others along, but Aoi had already seen the city, Permy lived here her whole life so she had no interest, Hotaru hated the cold and refused to go out while Mikan replied she didn't want to see a dead city.

"Okay, Mikan, Hotaru, we won't be long, I just need to get some goji berries and probiotic yogurt—I'm started a healthy eating routine as of February, which is pretty soon now! So cheerio!" She blew them both kisses; she twirled her heels around, and headed in the direction of the front door as she called for Aoi.

A few seconds later, the front door shut close.

"So what was I saying, Hotaru?" Mikan tilted her head to the side, before her eyes widened, and she gasped, "Oh, I know—"

"Mikan. Tell me what happened last night."

Mikan was completely caught off guard, and she closed her mouth, and her eyes were round and big. But then, she faked a laugh, and said, "I-I told you last night, Hotaru—"

"I'm your best friend, I've known you my whole life, I can tell when you're lying, you do realize. And I could tell as soon as you came out the elevator. You kept looking at Hyuuga. You're underestimating me if you think you could get away with what you said yesterday. Now . . . tell me."

Mikan was stunned. Had Hotaru been waiting till they were completely alone? Hotaru was seriously a genius. You sometimes get those people who always get A grades in their reports, but that's because they're either nerds or they work their arse off. But sometimes, you get those people who don't have to lift a finger to get an A, just because they are born-geniuses. Hotaru was definitely the latter kind of clever. Not only that—she always could analyze a situation before anybody else could.

"I-It's a long story."

"I'm ready."

So Mikan explained how what she had told them her friends last night was true; Natsume had indeed jumped into the elevator at last minute. And then the elevator moved a bit, and stopped. But Mikan explained to Hotaru how Natsume wasn't what she had thought him to be. "Natsume . . . he's nothing like what I thought. He wears a mask, Hotaru! He was generous, he thought about me, and made sure I was comfortable, and made me laugh when I thought it was the end! Natsume—"

"You're on first-name terms now?"

Mikan blinked. She didn't realize she was using his first name. Mikan looked down at her lap and quietly asked, "Are you angry, Hotaru? Disappointed? I'm really sorry, Hotaru! I know Aoi and Permy have problems with him, and he treated Permy like crap but—"

"Shouda lied to you."

Definitely a born-genius. ". . . How did you know—"

Hotaru shrugged, "It was obvious to me. The story didn't fit—she normally tells us where she heard the gossip from, or from who. It was lacking information . . . I assume you demanded to Hyuuga why he made such bet with his friends, and he told you the truth?"

"That's right."

"Mikan," Hotaru gently said, "I'm not angry at you. Or disappointed, or disgusted. It's your choice who your friends are, right? You can be friends with both Shouda and Hyu—"

"But I can't, Hotaru! You know Permy would skin me alive!"

Hotaru didn't reply for a moment before she said, "I think Aoi believes it was a lie too."

"What, the lie about the whole, 'claiming me on the night of the Third Round' thing?"

Hotaru nodded, "She's not an idiot, and she is his sister . . . have you realized that—"

"Whenever we talk about Natsume, something about her goes weird these days? Yeah, I have."

". . . The Hyuuga's have a secret."

There was a pause, before suddenly the two best friends burst into laughter, Mikan more than Hotaru. "That sounds like a movie line!" Mikan giggled, "_The Hyuuga's have a secret._" She repeated in a gruff voice, before she shrilly wailed, "DUN DUN DUUUUN."She threw her head back with laughter as Hotaru sniggered.

After Mikan had calmed down, she continued, "But yeah, Natsume was really nice. We're like . . . secret friends."

"That's so childish. And gay."

Mikan gaped and laughed out loud again, "Natsume said the _exact _same thing! The _exact _same thing! You two are so alike!" Hotaru, however, didn't join the laughter this time, and just had her eyes narrowed.

"I guess you'll like me to keep this 'secret friends' secret between us?" Hotaru asked when Mikan had calmed down for the second time.

"I'll appreciate that, Hotaru." Mikan smiled.

"Sure. My lips are sealed."

Mikan hugged Hotaru tightly, smiling. Having Hotaru as a best friend was the best thing; she was sure Hotaru was her soul sister; she wouldn't be able to spend a day without Hotaru. Even they don't spend every minute of the day talking to each other, they were fine with that. They were comfortable with each other all the time; it was a fact.

"But can I give you one advice?"

"Yeah sure!"

Hotaru looked at Mikan with her amethyst eyes. "I'm not telling you to do it now, but you should tell all of them the truth. About you and Hyuuga's relationship."

Mikan nodded in comprehension, and replied, "I will . . . And you know what I realized just now, Hotaru?"

"What?"

"I went downstairs to get a Sprite last night—I never came back up with it!"

**0**

**End of Chapter**

**0**


	18. The Arrival Of A Model

**Disclaimer:** I don't own it, wow, can you _believe _that? (Note the sarcasm)

**0**

**My Happy Ending  
**_**by Little Miss Giggle**_

**0**

**Chapter Sixteen: The Arrival Of A Model**

**0**

_I don't need no superman, with special powers and a fake tan,  
to try and save the day for me.  
Why can't he just let me be?_

**0**

Time goes by so quickly when you're enjoying yourself.

Before the girls knew it, January had turned into February, and the fourteen days left before the Third Round had also disappeared quickly too. It was the night before the Third Round and, like the Second Round, it was still chilly outside—the harsh winds of Tokyo swept shrilly down the streets of the thirteenth night of February—but the girls were safe from it, as they were cuddled up inside their room, with a nice steamy cup of Green Tea in their hands.

"I hope I don't break out tomorrow," Permy haughtily sniffed, as she inspected herself in the reflection of the toaster, as she leaned her body on the kitchen counter to get a better look of her skin, "because if I do, I'm going to blame you, Anna!"

Anna, who was comfortably sitting at the dining table with Hotaru and Nonoko, looked up with an amusement and asked, "Why me?"

"Because of your frigging chocolate cake two days ago! Mikan wasn't bloody in the house to wolf it down, meaning I ate most of it!" Permy sulked, as she sighed. Shaking her head, she made her way towards the dining table to join them, "Where was Mikan that day anyway?"

The girls shrugged in reply, but then Hotaru said in a monotone voice, "Went around to Tokyo."

Nonoko raised her eyebrows, "What? She hates Tokyo though—calls it dead!"

Hotaru answered smoothly, "Harajuku, not sight-seeing."

Permy pouted, "She should have invited us!"

Really, Hotaru thought, these girls were thicker than she originally thought. Hotaru had been covering up for Mikan, like she had done so in many occasions like in the end of January and beginning of February—there was no way in hell Hotaru would ever let Mikan go to Harajuku by herself! She'd probably get lost, knowing her best friend. Mikan, in fact, was meeting up with Natsume Hyuuga two days ago. Doing what, she had no idea—she hadn't had a chance to speak one-on-one with Mikan without looking suspicious, but all she knew was that seeing Hyuuga made her happy—she'd always come home with the biggest smile on her face.

Suddenly, the bedroom door opened, and out came a freshly bathed Mikan, wearing her pyjamas, her hair wrapped in a towel, and slippers on her feet. She wore an ecstatic look on her face as she approached her friends and once she was close enough, exclaimed, "Ryo just texted me!" as she waved around her phone, which were in her hands, "He said that he's just arrived at Tokyo and will be here at the Academy in an hour or so!"

"Nice!" Permy smiled, as she high-fived Nonoko, who laughed before she sighed, "You sure he can't stay at our place?" with a suggestive wiggle of her eyebrows.

Mikan, Permy and Anna burst out laughing, and Anna even commented, "My dear twin, good Lord!" as she slapped her playfully on the back. "Oh, Mikan, there's a pot Green Tea! Help yourself!" she added, when her laughter died down, as she pointed towards the beautiful Japanese pot, which sat innocently on the counter.

"Mmm, thanks, A!" she said, before she proceeded towards the cupboard, to get herself a cup. "But seriously," Mikan said, as she poured herself a cup, "Ryo is nothing special. He's gross, trust me, I've lived with him for fifteen years! Right, Hotaru? He's nothing special, is he?"

Hotaru shook her head, and she even shuddered in what seem like disgust, "Not at all."

Mikan smiled lightly at her best friend's reaction as she took a seat beside her. Taking a sip of her Green Tea, she instantly felt her insides tingle—and she thought she couldn't feel any better, as she had just come out from the bath.

The girls slightly jumped in their seat when they heard the front door whoosh open, and bang shut, but they all relaxed when they heard Aoi Hyuuga's sing-song voice call, "I'm baaacck!"

"We're in the kitchen, Aoi!" Mikan called back, "Come join us for some Green Tea!"

The girls didn't expect Aoi to come into the kitchen with a huge box in her arms. Aoi let out a sigh, when she finally dropped the box by Mikan's feet. "This baby," she announced, "is for you!"

"Me?" Mikan echoed, with her mouth open.

"It's your outfit for tomorrow, silly! Don't tell me you forgot about that!" Aoi laughed, as she crouched down and started to rip the duct tape off the box, "I sketched your outfit for the Third Round, and found it all on the internet simply waiting for me to buy it!" She exclaimed, as she finally managed to open the box.

"That looks so cute!" Permy gushed, as she knelt down beside Aoi, and picked up what was in the box. In the box, there was a crop-hoodie that was in different colours, a simple pair of grey sweatpants, and then a—

"What's this?" Mikan asked, with her eyebrows furrowed, as she pulled out a black piece of stretchy material.

"Oh that," Aoi giggled, "is a tube top!" Mikan's jaw fell, but before she could say anything, Aoi continued, "I have a vision! Trust me Mikan, I won't make you go out on stage looking like a total moron. I'm going to make you look incredible—trust me!"

"Remember Mikan, she has made you look pretty damn hot in the last two rounds! What's different about this one, eh? And besides, this is better than your Second Round outfit, right?" Anna said, as she tinkled with laughter at the expression on Mikan's face.

"I guess you're right." Mikan replied after thinking about it for a few seconds. She looked at Aoi and declared, "I trust you!"

"That's the spirit, baby!" Nonoko laughed, before she turned to Aoi, "Ooh, Ryo will be arriving in an hour or so!"

Aoi's eyes twinkled as she commented, "Niiiice."

The girls all laughed, but then Mikan broke it by saying, "Oh my God!" they all looked her, and saw her pull out a shiny gold dress; a puff-ball dress. Mikan looked speechless for a moment, but then she turned to Aoi with her mouth wide open, "Y-You—"

"No, we _all_ did." Aoi replied with a smile on her face, "Consider all of this as a late birthday present, Mikan!"

"Happy Belated Birthday!" Anna, Nonoko and Permy all chorused. "Look around in the box more, Mikan! We bought you jewellery as well—"

"And shoes!" Permy finished. "Absolutely gorgeous!"

Mikan started to laugh because she was lost for words, but then she said, "Guys, you didn't need to—"

"You can wear it to the Dance," Hotaru interrupted in a bored tone, "You'll look very beautiful in it Mikan."

Mikan blinked, and just when she was about to thank Hotaru for the compliment, her brain functioned, and she hesitantly replied, "I-I can't accept this, guys—"

"Oh you will accept it." Hotaru commanded, interrupting her again, "I did not waste my money." The rest of the girls nodded in agreement, and watched Mikan laughed the slightest before she looked down at her dress. "It's—it's beautiful, guys." She softly commented, as she stroked the dress before she looked up at her friends and continued, "Thank you. Thank you all so much!"

Before her friends knew it, she was pulling them all into a hug, which ended up to be a tangle of laughing best friends.

**0**

After the girls had calmed down a bit, and after Mikan had thanked them again and again, she then carefully put all her new clothes in her room. Fifty minutes had passed, and her hair was now dry as she sat down in the living room couches, with all her friends beside her, all nestled into the cushions.

"Can you believe tomorrow's the Third Round?" Anna asked, as she looked at all of her friends.

"I'm surprised I'm not panicking!" Mikan laughed. "But I think I'm used to the whole feeling now, you know?"

Permy nodded in reply before she said, "You know what's scary though? If we get into the next round . . . The Fourth Round . . . that is when it gets serious. Because after it, it's the Fifth and then . . ." she shook her head, "Wow, that's a creepy thought."

"Yeah . . ." Anna agreed with a worried look on her face, ". . . It's not like the First Round anymore, is it?"

"No . . ." Nonoko murmured, as she unconsciously started to bite her nail. There was a stiff silence, before Mikan thwacked Nonoko on the shoulder, completely catching her off guard, and exclaimed, "Quit looking so glum all of you! We're going to be fine! Totally fine!" in a bouncy tone.

"Wow, that scared me!" Nonoko laughed, breathless.

Permy raised her eyebrows, amused, "Funny how you're normally the one we have to convince you'll be fine! What's with the change of heart?"

Mikan wryly smiled before she replied, "Mm, not much."

_. . ._

_Flashback_

_. . ._

"I'm so freaking stressed!" Mikan cried, as she peeled—ripped—off the thin paper that was sticking to her Starbuck's Banana and Nut Muffin, "I mean," she continued, "not only is the Third Round in a week, but I keep having these . . . images of Permy popping out of thin air and finding us together! And nightmares about that too!"

Natsume shrugged and took a sip from his coffee before answering, "Maybe you should buy a lavender pillow."

Mikan raised her eyebrows at him, "I'm being serious here, Natsume!" she sighed, as she crammed half of her muffin into her mouth. She swallowed it before she carried on, "Okay, forget about Permy now, because you'll be no help with that subject! But the Third Round, I'm so—"

"Why be worried when you know you're going to be great?"

Mikan blinked and looked at him. His crimson eyes were looking straight at her hazel ones, and then a laugh escaped her lips, "Me? Be great? I'm an amateur—"

"Everybody is an amateur at one point in their lives. _We_ were."

". . . Yeah, I guess that's true—"

"Just stop freaking out, because you know and I know you'll do fine. And besides, it's only, what, four minutes of the whole night when you perform? It's nothing. And if people don't like your performance well screw them. You're obviously better than all of them as they're watching you not the other way around."

She blinked several times before his words finally stuck to her. Mikan smiled and put her hands gently on his arm before she looked up at him, "Thanks, Natsume."

Without any warning, Natsume picked up her Banana and Nut muffin and popped it into his mouth. Mikan gaped at him before she cried, "You ate my muffin!" while she started to poke him, "You ate my muffin!" she repeated annoyed, this time though, with humour.

"What can I say? I'm a big guy." Natsume answered blandly as his shrugged. But if you looked closely, you would have been able to see the amusement that twinkled in his eyes.

_. . ._

_End of Flashback_

_. . ._

"I wonder what the Fourth Round genre will be . . ." Aoi said as she put a finger on her chin, "Something probably really hard though."

"Or something really easy." Hotaru added, as she shrugged, "This Academy is completely unpredictable. Who knows what they'd do next." Anna and Nonoko nodded in agreement, while Mikan kept her mellow smile on her face—it's funny to think that a sheer memory can make one happy. Permy was currently by the coffee table, going through her magazine, hoping to find one she could read again while Aoi looked deep in thought.

"Read that – read that as well – read that – Oh my God have I read all of these goddamn magazines?" Permy sighed to herself, "Read that – read that – read . . . what's this?" Everybody turned to Permy who was now holding a piece of paper, which had some writing scrawled on it.

"Oh those are mine!" Mikan said, as she stretched her arm out, assuming that Permy would pass them straight to her. But instead, Permy kept her green eyes on them, and scanned them carefully.

"What are they?" she asked, finally looking up at Mikan.

Mikan put her arm back to her side before she replied, "Lyrics, silly!"

"For what?"

"The Third Round—"

"What? I thought your lyrics were about Hyuuga, not—" she looked at the piece of paper, "dance!" she exclaimed as she waved the sheet of paper in her hands.

Mikan furrowed her eyebrows, "But the genre _is_ dance, Perms."

"But you have to sing the one about Hyuuga! You know, to get him jealous? The dance with the enemy one? Geez, Mikan, don't tell me you forgot the plan!"

Hotaru was the only one in the room who knew what was going on, apart from Mikan. The rest of the girls looked at Mikan with bewilderment, wondering why she had changed her song so last-minute; her last song which was indeed dedicated to Hyuuga was a good song, a perfect song for a dance Genre! But ever since the elevator business, Mikan had confided in Hotaru, telling her she was having second thoughts about her original lyrics, and wanted to write new lyrics, but keep the same tune—she had no intention of making Natsume annoyed.

Honestly, at the moment, Mikan was more than sure she was going to snap, "I'm not your effin' puppet, Permy!" but she couldn't—no, if she did, the whole secret would come pouring out.

Instead, Mikan gasped, and stupidly giggled, "Oh my God, I totally forgot the plan! Yes, of course, the plan . . ."

Permy rolled her eyes, "Yes, Mikan. The plan were you dance with Ryo in the Valentine Day dance to get him pissed!" Nonoko and Anna laughed at Mikan's thickness, and Aoi lightly shook her head while she chuckled softly. Hotaru, on the other hand, gave Mikan a knowing look, signaling to her she knew exactly what she was doing.

"How you forgot, I don't know! Seriously, this is the guy who betted about your virginity!" Permy added, as she focused her attention back on the magazines.

_You don't have to remind me, Perms. You've already told me that a thousand times_, Mikan sadly thought, as she watched Permy with her hazel eyes. She was not only angry that Permy had lied to her; Mikan was also a bit . . . hurt that Permy would lie to her. They were friends after all!

Suddenly, there was a shrill ring on the doorbell.

Anna gasped, "It's Ryo!"

**0**

"Naaatsume!" Koko sing-songed as he went inside the living room, with a cheeky grin plastered on his face. Natsume, who was lounging on the leather couch, with a sports magazine in his hand, looked up, and flicked his hand up to tell Koko non-verbally that he acknowledged his presence. "Hey Ruka and Kitsune-me!" he also greeted, as he sat himself down on the couch. Ruka and Kitsune-me who were watching TV, lazily grunted in reply.

"So," he continued, as he looked at his three friends, "I just heard something while I was in the common room. And this news will interest you, Natsume!"

Natsume raised his eyebrows, and put his magazine down on his lap. He sat up in the couch, draped an arm behind it before he asked, "Yeah? What?"

"It better not be about the Third Round—I'm tired of people talking about it, and gossiping whether or not we're performing with Mochu." Ruka sighed, as he turned his head away from the TV.

"No, nothing boring like that!" Koko laughed, "Do you think I give a fuck about that? Seriously! No this is big!" Koko turned his gaze back on Natsume before he jeered, "You're not going to like this, Natsume."

"What?"

"The girls told me that they saw a guy enter your wifey's room."

Kitsune-me and Ruka whipped their heads around, their jaw practically on the floor, "What?" Kitsune-me gasped, "I thought it was going good with you two! You like . . . see each other every week now!"

Ruka, closed his mouth, but then opened it again to sensibly say, "She does have dorm mates. It could have been one of her friend's—"

"No, no, no, no. This dude," Koko continued, his wicked grin widening, "is from Nagoya. And he looks like Haya-chan, your—"

"Ex-girlfriend that I had in February last year." Natsume finished off in a murmur. Koko nodded, his grin getting even wider, before Natsume sucked the insides of his cheeks and growled, "That bastard's finally in Tokyo then, eh?"

"Precisely!" Koko laughed, as he slapped his hand on his thighs. "Your wife probably invited him for the Valentine Dance! So whatcha going to do, hmm?"

"Something," Natsume drawled as he stood up, "that is probably not legal." The boys started to laugh at Natsume, who was walking towards the kitchen to get a drink. Natsume turned back towards them with his eyebrows raised, "Why are you lot laughing? I'm being serious."

**0**

"This is your room?" Ryo asked as he looked around, dropping his hand luggage on the floor while doing so. "Well . . . it's big." He commented as he looked around.

"Yes, our dorm is very big!" Nonoko chirped.

"Your welcome to stay here tonight! As you can see, we have more than enough space!" Anna added in, her sea blue eyes sparkling.

Ryo smiled at the twins before he said, "Nah, don't worry, girls. I've booked a hotel room Tokyo Dome Hotel—"

"I've heard that place isn't that nice!" Permy said, as he took hold of Ryo's hand, "So stay here! We won't mind at all," she turned to Anna and Nonoko, who had hearts dancing in their eyes, "will we guys?"

"Not at all!" Anna and Nonoko quickly replied in sync, while frantically shaking their heads.

Ryo smiled again before saying, "I'll see how it goes." Before raising his eyebrows suggestively.

Mikan was watching this happen before he eyes smacked her head with the palms of her hand as a growl emitted from her mouth. Anna, Nonoko and Permy were completely smitten over this guy. Hotaru, thank the Lord knew the Ryo almost like her own brother, so it was safe to say she would never in her life see her best friend smitten over her brother. Aoi, on the other hand was nice to him, but didn't seem attracted to Ryo at all.

"So, Mikan, darling sister," Ryo said with amusement in his voice, he could clearly see how much his little sister hated the fact that her friends were going gaga over him, "you're now my girlfriend then, right?"

"Yes, but just in front of Natsume Hyuuga." Permy replied for Mikan. "He's the guy that's made a bet that he'll sleep with Mikan tomorrow!"

Mikan felt a strong urge to shout, LIAR. Liar, liar, liar, liar—

"And he's the bastard that called me gay." He narrowed his eyes, "What's he look like? How will I recognize him?"

"Black hair, red eyes." Hotaru replied, without expression. "Looks like her—" she continued as she pointed at Aoi who stood beside him, "she's his little sister."

Ryo's eyes widened, "You're joking!"

Aoi smiled, "Nope, it's true. But don't worry, I won't get offended if you call my brother names, because I'm not close to my brother anymore."

Hotaru and Mikan immediately glanced at each other. Anymore? Aoi said anymore . . . does that mean that she was close to him before? Before the Academy? Was this a clue to the whole Hyuuga secret?

"Well," Ryo said as he clicked his tongue, "that's….that's . . . hey, whose hungry?"

"Me!" Permy, Nonoko and Anna cried at the same time.

"Cool, what if I treat you all for something outside the Academy? I can do with some good Japanese food—"

"I know the perfect place!" Permy exclaimed excitedly, while she batted her eyelashes, "After all, I've been living here for my whole life! Come on, come on, let's go!" she said, as she pulled Ryo to the front door. Anna and Nonoko quickly followed Ryo down the corridor, while Mikan and Hotaru sighed.

"Seriously, my brother so annoying." Mikan growled, as she glared at the back of his head. "I can't take this!"

"No offence, but he's not my type." Aoi murmured as she looked at him. "Don't get me wrong, brown hair and Edward Cullen golden eyes—it sounds appealing but my types more—"

"Grey hair and green stormy eyes?" Mikan teased, as she nudged Aoi, "Hijiri Youichi, riiight?"

Aoi's cheek flushed pink before she nudged Mikan back and heatedly muttered, "You mean person."

"You model?" they heard Permy's voice gasped from the front door, her voice filled with excitement, "Mikan never told me you modeled!"

"Well, she probably also never told you that I was the one to teach her guitar . . ." they heard Ryo's deep voice reply back, only to be followed by the squealing of the three girls. Hotaru rolled her eyes, Aoi nervously laughed before she looked at Mikan, who was rubbing her temples.

"I won't be able to deal with this!" Mikan groaned, "Especially the night before the Third Round!" If any of you have a brother, you will know how damn annoying it is for your friends to go gaga over him, right? I mean, Ryo was nice, sure, but nasty just as any boy. He had manly habits—like he never puts the toilet seat down—he bullies his little sister non-stop! _Seriously_, Mikan thought, _what is so great about Ryo?_

"Hey Ryo!" Mikan suddenly called out, "I'm not going to go. I'll stay in my room!"

"What, why?" Aoi asked, looking at her.

Mikan opened her mouth, but before she could she heard Permy fawn over her brother yet again. Mikan sighed before she answered, "_That's_ why. I can't stand it! It's driving me bonkers!"

Hotaru nodded, "Want me to bring something back for you?"

Mikan smiled at Hotaru. She knew her best friend would understand! "Yeah, Miso-glazed black cod, please? Get Ryo to pay! Hah!" she cackled. She patted Aoi and Hotaru's arm before continuing, "I'm going to watch some 90210. You guys enjoy yourselves, okay? And text me when Permy finally realizes I'm not there. Because I don't think she ever will."

Aoi tinkled with laughter, and Hotaru's lip curled up in a smile.

"You sure though, Mikan?" Aoi double-checked, before she made her way to the front door.

Mikan nodded in reply and blew a kiss at her and her best friend, "Bon appétit!"

**0**

Voices of an old 90210 episode ran through Mikan's head when she finally fluttered her eyelashes open. She had just heard the front door to their dorm bang shut, which she blamed woke her up, and now that her brain was starting to function, she could hear the voices of her friends, coming closer and closer to her.

"Mikan, darrrrrling, where are you?" rang the voice of Permy.

"Here." Mikan croaked back, and she slouched back down on the couch. From the corner of her eye, she saw all her friends clamber into the living room to join her on the couch. "Oooh, I love this episode!" Nonoko gushed as she sat down besides Mikan.

"Mikan, here's you food." Hotaru said, as handed Mikan a plastic bag, filled with steamy hot food.

Mikan smiled, took a whiff of the heavenly food before she thanked her best friend. "So how was—"

Before Mikan could even finish her question, Permy interrupted, her voice fast and filled with liveliness, "Incredible! Your brother Ryo is BEAUTIFUL. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful! And such a gentleman! He took us to a lovely Japanese restaurant, the one that _I_ recommended, and paid for the bill! And I—"

"Didn't realize Mikan wasn't there until he left to his hotel room." Hotaru finished off in a monotone voice.

Mikan, who had just pulled her chopsticks apart, turned to look at Permy, before poking her while exclaiming, "You bitch!" in a teasing way. "Funny how I assumed this would happen, eh, Hotaru, Aoi?" They both nodded in reply, a smirk present on Aoi's face.

Permy laughed, "Who could blame me, I was lost in his eyes! His beautiful, golden eyes . . . Besides! It wasn't just me, Anna and Nonoko were pretty awestruck by him too!"

Anna and Nonoko laughed before replying, "Not as much as you!"

Permy bit her lips cheekily before she cleared her throat and said, "Anyway! I just had a beyond fantabulous plan on the taxi ride back, right girls?" Anna and Nonoko nodded enthusiastically in reply; Aoi gave a small nod while Hotaru's lips just thinned, and she looked at Mikan, as if trying to warn her what was about to come. "Mikan, babe, you never told me that Ryo could dance!"

Mikan stared at Permy, and stopped eating her fish for a moment, before she blinked and answered, "He _can?_"

"Oh yes!" Permy replied with a huge grin on her face, "He told me—_us_ that he started dancing lessons a few weeks ago, and he's already best in his class! He even showed us a few of his moves in the middle on the street! Wasn't he marvelous?" she turned to look at the girls.

Anna nodded in reply before she whistled, "Incredible!"

"Right!" Permy continued, "And that's when I had a genius idea! Mikan," she held onto Mikan's shoulders, "Ryo can come with you on stage and dance with you on stage while your performance goes on!"

Mikan's jaw fell open.

"It's perfect! Hyuuga would be so jealous! Hopefully he'll kick himself in the balls!" she cackled.

"B-but—"

"Don't worry," Permy winked, "I already asked Ryo for you! And he said yes!"

Mikan twitched. Then faked a 'Yay.' But the only word that was running though her mind was shit, shit and shit. And who could blame her? How far will Permy take this before she realizes that revenge is really not the answer? All Mikan could do now, was eat her dinner in silent, while pray in her mind that tomorrow will not be the disaster she feared it would be.

**0**

**End of Chapter Sixteen**

**0**

**A/N: **So, all of you. You guys all reviewed saying things like, "Permy is sooo mean! How could she just lie that?" _Well_, what if Permy is actually telling the _truth? _What if it's Natsume's who lying, trying to get into Mikan's pants? Or am I just saying this to confuse you poor souls?


	19. The Third Round: Part I

**Disclaimer:** Don't own it. Do YOU? Ooooh!

**0**

**My Happy Ending  
**_**by Little Miss Giggle**_

**0**

**Chapter Seventeen: The Third Round Part I**

**0**

_I don't need no superman, with special powers and a fake tan,  
to try and save the day for me.  
Why can't he just let me be?_

**0**

To say Narumi's decoration for the Third Round slash Valentine's Day Dance wasn't extravagant would be a lie. A big _fat_ lie. The Alice Academy Hall was lavishly decorated; it seemed as if red and pink paper chains had exploded in the hall; banners that read: _Happy Valentine's Day!_ streaked across the ceiling of the hall. Glitter was sprinkled around _everywhere_, and probably the most outrageous thing, next to the Main Entrance Door, there was a small table with an open huge box on it. In the box, where packets and packets of condoms. And on the box, in curly writing, was written: _Have a good Valentine's Day night, my dears! BE SAFE!—Love, Narumi!_

Cringe, much?

"Bloody hell," Permy muttered, as she peered from behind the stage with her friends, to inspect the Main Hall, "Narumi is so tacky!" Hotaru scoffed with disgust in agreement, before she turned away. She just couldn't look at the hall without feeling ill. How she was going to manage spending an _hour _down there to dance, she didn't know. "Poor Aoi," Permy continued, "to think she's somewhere down in that horrendous Hall . . ."

"Well, it sure does feel like Valentine's Day for once in my life!" Anna smiled. "What do you think, Mikan?"

They all turned to Mikan, wanting a response, but all they got from her was nothing. She was staring blankly at the hall, as she bit one of her nails, and it seemed as if she had not be paying attention at all.

"Hey, hey!" Permy trilled, as she slapped Mikan's hand, "Do _not _bite your nails! It's not only nasty, but totally unhygienic!"

Mikan immediately blinked in surprise as well as slightly jumping causing her to snap out of her thought bubble, and turned to look at her friends . . . and her _brother_, with a confused look, while she lamely said, "Huh?"

Nonoko laughed, "Really Mikan! You were the one telling us not to worry last night! Where did that confidence go, eh? Don't worry, you'll be fine!"

"And you'll have your brother with you!" Anna reminded, as she winked at Mikan. "What can you possibly be worried about when you're going on stage with him?"

_Bingo, Anna, _Mikan bitterly thought, _I'm worried _because _of him! _Nevertheless, Mikan forced a smile on her face—even though it turned more into a grimace than a grin, but then Ryo put his arm around Mikan, causing her smile to turn upside down. "Yeah Mikan, you have _me._" Ryo cockily sneered. Mikan resisted the urge to bite her brother's hand that was oh-so casually dangling around her. Instead, she forced a sugary smile on her face, and said in the fakest voice she could muster, "Oh how blessed I am."

Mikan, simply put, was worried sick. Not only were the nerves building up for her performance tonight, but she also had to go on stage with her brother. And _dance _with him on stage. This wouldn't be too bad if Natsume Hyuuga was in a different country tonight—but of course, he wasn't. He was going to be there to watch her dance her little booty with Ryo, her brother, who Natsume thought was her boyfriend from Nagoya. Oh the _shame. _But Mikan was mainly worried sick because of the fear on what Natsume would _do _after he saw her dance with Ryo.

When Permy had shared her 'genius plan' last night, Mikan tried various methods to wriggle herself out of it, but Permy proved it impossible. When Mikan said it was probably against the rules to have someone perform with the contestant when he or she was not in the Music Competition, what did Permy reply? She announced that she had already been down to Mr. Prince's office to ask for permission.

And Mr. Prince said yes.

_That's _when she realized whatever was up there, did not like her.

Mikan hardly slept that night. And in the morning she had tried earlier on in the day to try find Natsume and come clean; tell him about the situation, _even _about Ryo, but it had been such a hectic day, she hardly had any time to find him, let alone tell him. Ryo didn't help either—he had made her practice their dance practically _all _afternoon. The only good thing that came out of that was that their dance was now immaculate, and she had managed to give her brother two bruises on his foot.

Score!

"Before this turns into one of your petty fights, let's go get ready." Hotaru said, her eyes flickering between Mikan and Ryo. "We only have forty-five minute till the first contestant goes up on stage."

"Speaking of that—we gotto go get _our _times! . . . Shit, I hope I'm not _that _first contestant." Permy murmured, as she whirled around and quickly headed in the direction of the backstage notice board, where the running-list of performers were neatly printed on. Yanking her brother's arm and dragging him along, Mikan followed her friends who were all gathering around the list, along with Permy.

1. Mochu

2. Rui Hanazawa

3. Rose Denmai

4. Misaki Harada

5. Naoki Tajimara

6. Erica Stone

7. Saya Hajimaru

8. The English Banana's

9. Andrea Lamborghini

**10. Mikan Sakura**

11. Youichi Hijiri

**12. Hotaru Imai**

**13. Sumire Shouda**

14. Mimi Tanaka

15. Westside Guys

16. Bunny Love

17. Andou Tsubasa

**18. Anna and Nonoko**

19. Lulu Yamakawa

20. Crimson Abyss

"Crap, we've got ages, Noko!" Anna exclaimed she clicked her tongue, "Eighteenth—that's some horse manure news to me!"

"I'll say." Nonoko sighed in agreement. Then a smile lit up on her face, "Well, at least we'll have ages to get all dolled up, right?"

"Oh my _gawd._" Permy took in a deep breath before she turned onto her friends with a horrified look, "I'm number _thirteen! _That's an unlucky number, isn't it!"

"Some people don't think it's unlucky."

Permy turned to Ryo, her worried look immediately melting. She batted her eyelashes as she asked, "Do you think it's unlucky, Ryo?"

Ryo shrugged, "I'm not really into that superstitious nonsense—no offence, Hotaru." He added, with a boyish grin plastered on his face, directed obviously to Hotaru, who turned her gaze at Ryo before sarcastically sneering, "Ha-ha Ryo, you're _hilarious._"

Mikan sniggered before she looked at the confused looking Permy, Anna and Nonoko and explained, "Since we were kids, Ryo has it in his head that Hotaru's a witch." It wasn't _that _funny. But because it was Ryo, the three girls threw their heads back with laughter, causing Mikan to hit her forehead with the palm of her hand.

"Enough of this," Hotaru hissed, blatantly not liking the fact her friends were laughing _at _her . . . well, in some way. "We've got forty-minutes—now go, go. We've all got to get ready." Mikan pressed her lips together as she felt her insides churn. Forty minutes . . . forty minutes . . . forty minutes to 1) get ready; 2) calm down; 3) meditate and (hopefully) 4) Find Natsume Hyuuga.

All in forty minutes.

. . . Thirty-nine minutes now.

Mikan craned her neck to the side as she inspected herself in the mirror. Okay, this look—sweatpants, tube top, crop-hoodie, NIKEiDs, hoop earrings, rings on her hands, light-makeup, a quiff in the hair as well as a low side-ponytail—may work for _some _people; such as Cheryl Cole; but, in her opinion, did not work for herself.

"I look," she finally said, "like a _chav._"

"Oh shut up, Mikan!" Permy laughed as she lightly smacked Mikan's shoulder, "You look great!"

Mikan was in her changing room getting ready, and seconds ago, Permy had joined her, exclaiming that her own changing room didn't have enough light, claiming that was a problem when it came to the time to put on make-up because she wouldn't be able to tell in her own mirror whether she was putting to much bronzer or not. Mikan didn't care about there being no space—now there was less contestants in the Music Competition, her changing room had certainly been . . . _upgraded—_her changing room was more than capable in fitting two people in. But Mikan couldn't help not caring that this was Permy prancing into her changing room, as if she owned it—she wouldn't have minded some weeks ago, in fact, she would have found it funny. But right now, Mikan didn't know how she felt about Permy . . . she couldn't help feeling a bit . . . angry at her.

"I—"

"Besides, Aoi would never in a million years make you go out on stage looking like a chav! You look good—I swear. And you _know _I don't lie about those things!" Permy winked. Mikan thickly swallowed as she turned back to her reflection.

Okay, maybe she didn't look _that _bad . . . maybe—

"You're probably just thinking that in your head 'cos you're nervous! You're probably just being a bit pessimistic and gloomy!"

"Yeah, maybe."

Permy laughed again, and took hold of Mikan's shoulders from behind and shook her, "Mikan, you look fab! _Nothing _can go wrong tonight! So quit being pessimistic and start being optimistic! You'll be great!" Permy reassured Mikan, as they both looked into the mirror in front of them before Permy turned around and said, "Can you zip my dress, Mikan? This zipper gets jammed sometimes."

"Sure!" Mikan replied as she turned to face Permy's back. Steadily, she put clamped her thumb and forefinger on the zip and started to pull gradually pull it up, "God, it's stiff!" she exclaimed in the process.

"I know, right?"

Mikan was just about to reply when some caught her eye. She stopped functioning all together and her eyes widened . . . _Did I just see what I thought I just saw? _Mikan thought to herself, now blinking rapidly. Pretending to move the dress around to position the zipper in a straight line, Mikan double-checked if what she saw was her imagination or reality.

Her eyes widened when she saw it again, realising it had never been her imagination like she hoped it to be.

Permy had a tattoo on her back. It was small; no bigger than a big toe—it was a tattoo of a heart. And in the tattoo was written: _Natsume Hyuuga Forever._

Mikan couldn't help feeling a tonne of mixed emotion fill her up—fill her up as if she was being suffocated. It was three words, and those three words in Permy's tattoo made Mikan's heart beat with anxiety. Was her unspoken and dreaded theory about Permy only wanting Mikan to do the dirty work (as in, 'Make Natsume Hyuuga Unbearably Jealous'), so _she _could look like the bad girl while Permy herself looked like the good girl, true? Was Permy _using _Mikan?

Or was she just being too paranoid? Was this just merely an innocent tattoo she got when she was still going out with Natsume?

"Mikan? Is it jammed?"

Permy's question made Mikan flutter her eyelashes and snap out of her thought. "Oh, um," she stuttered, "y-yeah, sorry!" as she pulled the zip up, "b-but it's all fine now!" Mikan forced a wide smile on her face and clapped her hands, "You're all zipped up, Permy!"

Permy turned around to Mikan, her eyes suspiciously narrowed, "You okay?"

"Y-Yeah, sure—"

Suddenly, the changing room door opened, and both girls snapped their heads to it, only to see Ryo peer his head through, with a Cheshire cat smile on his face, "Everything alright?"

"Piss off, you peeping Tom!" Mikan shrieked, as scanned her room to see if there were anything she could throw at Ryo's face. Mind you, her aim was terrible. "You pervert!"

Permy let out a girlish hoot before she exclaimed, "You naughty boy, Ryo!"

Ryo laughed, before he opened Mikan's changing room door wider, only to step in, _only _to make Permy gasp. Ryo was wearing grey Nike sweatpants and a white no-sleeve teeshirt that hugged his torso tightly. Ryo's chestnut brown hair looked messy, in a good way, and his golden eyes seemed to be gleaming with excitement. Permy was clearly starstruck—and she wasn't trying to hide the fact that she was either.

"I don't know what's worse. The fact that you're not denying being a Peeping Tom or the fact that you were trying to Peeping Tom _me_—your sister—"

All of a sudden, the speakers crackled before the voice of Mr. Narumi boomed, "Welcome to the Third Round!" Mikan gasped, as Permy squealed and clutched onto Mikan's arm as she breathily said, "It's here, it's here, it's finally here!" and before Mikan knew it, Permy had pulled Mikan out of her changing room as well as Ryo, and was dragging them both to the spot behind the curtain where you could see the stage and the audience, but they couldn't see you.

"Forty minutes has passed?" Mikan incredulously asked, "Already?" _I only managed to do one thing out of my list of four!_

"Wow," Ryo murmured, "the crowd is bigger than I expected!"

Permy, was continuously cheering, "It's here, it's here, it's finally here!" in a voice that evidently showed that she could not contain her excitement, when Hotaru, Anna and Nonoko appeared beside them; all with an anxious yet exhilarated look on their faces. Anna and Nonoko were both dressed in frilly skirts that bopped when they moved with a white camisole and black waistcoat and a pair of heels to top it off. They both looked identically adorable, while Hotaru looked elegant as ever in a midnight purple dress that draped over her perfectly.

"Ladies and gents," Narumi continued, his voice echoing in each of their heads, "only _twenty _contestants left in the Music Competition! But tonight, for ten of them, it'll be their last night . . ." The crowd booed and Narumi 'aw-ed' before he said, "_Buuuuuut_, for _all_ of them tonight, and all of _you _tonight, it'll be a Valentine's Day Dance!" The crowd now roared with enthusiasm—whoops, wolf-whistling, shaking of the banners and screams of joys could be heard.

Mr Jinno surely did not seem to be liking all this noise—the fact that he was covering his ears with his hands being the evidence.

"Bloody hell, they do make a hell of a racket." Ryo commented, his eyebrows dancing.

"Suck it up!" Mikan replied.

Ryo grinned, "Who the hell said I was complaining?"

"And what better than to start this much anticipated Third Round with our very own," Narumi paused in the microphone, and on cue, the lights on the stage dimmed; only to brightly shine back on as Narumi announced, "Mooochhuuuuuuu!"

The screaming quadrupled when Mochu himself came onto the stage, casually ambling his way to the centre of the stage. He waved his left hand to his fans, with a big smile showing his blinding white teeth while he held a microphone with his right hand. The screaming, whistling, whooping and shaking of the 'Mochu' banners intensified when he finally stopped at the centre of the stage, just to look the audience.

"Still can't believe _Mochu_ goes to your school, Mikan." Ryo said as he nudged Mikan with his elbows. Mikan glanced at her brother with her hazel eyes, and felt an amused smile rise to her face when she saw him recording this moment on his phone. "My mates are not going to believe I saw this guy . . . for free! This guy is _sick!_"

Mikan laughed lightly, "Welcome to the Alice Academy." For a moment there, Mikan actually didn't feel too . . . troubled.

"Thank y'all, thank y'all!" Mochu started, and gradually the hyper crowd quietened down, evidently eager to hear what Mochu had to say, "Thank y'all for the kind welcoming! I appreciate it loads. This song I'm about to sing was written especially for the Third Round, and it's also in my new album, which is for the record, to be released sometime in April—I'll keep y'all updated on that. So this song is for all you ladies out there!" The crowd went wild again, and that was when the speakers blared with music, and Mochu started his kick-ass performance.

_Break Your Heart  
Taio Cruz_

_Woah Woah_

_Now listen to me bab  
y Before I love and leave you  
They call me heart breaker  
I don't wanna deceive you _

_If you fall for me  
I'm not easy to please  
I'mma tear you apart  
Told you from the start, baby from the start._

_I'm only gonna break break ya break break ya heart. (x4)_

_There's not point trying to hide it  
No point trying to evade it  
I know I got a problem  
By doing this behavior _

_If you fall for me  
I'm not easy to please  
I'mma tear you apart  
Told you from the start, baby from the start. _

_I'm only gonna break break ya break break ya heart. (x4)_

_And I know Karma's gonna get me back for being so cold  
Like a big bad wolf, I'm born to be bad and bad to the bone  
If you fall for me, I'm only gonna tear you apart  
Told you from the start_

_I'm only gonna break break ya break break ya heart. (x8)_

The audience, the backstage, the other performers, even some of the teachers were cheering at the end of the song. It was clear that this song was a success, and perfect for the whole Dance genre—_everybody _was dancing at some point—even Hotaru! Well, she just bopped her head along with the beat, but honestly, Hotaru Imai bopping her head is like Michael Jackson doing the moonwalk!

Mochu beamed at the crowd, before he saluted at them as he said, "Thanks y'all so much, again . . . and don't you worry all you mofos, I'll be back on this stage soon for your dance with some more sick tunes . . . along with some _friends _of mine!"

At first people were confused at Mochu's last statement. But they still cheered for him loudly, even when he had waved the crowd a farewell, and went backstage. Then, it hit them. Well, at least they thought it hit them.

"Oh my God, did Mochu mean Crimson Abyss?"

"Oh my GOD! So the rumours weren't true? . . . Oh, who the fuck cares about that—Mochu and CRIMSON ABYSS are playing together!"

Mikan gaped at first, her thoughts were pretty much exactly the same as what the audience were questioning among themselves. But then a smile crossed her face; if Mochu _did _mean Crimson Abyss when he said friends, that meant that Natsume had accepted Mochu's offer . . . which kinda meant that Natsume listened to her advice. She knew that it may had not been her advice that made Natsume change his mind, but she liked to think it was her anyway.

"These people are rabid," Hotaru scoffed, "and who knows if it's Crimson Abyss; it could be any other friends of Mochu. People jump to conclusion too much these days."

"I bet it _is _them though," Permy hissed, "Crimson Abyss, well, Natsume Hyuuga just _loves _the damn spotlight—"

"I know you hate them Perms, but you do have to admit Mochu just brought the house down. And him and Crimson Abyss will bring the whole fucking school down!" Mikan exclaimed, "The Dance is going to great with some of their music!"

Permy looked at Mikan at first with an uncertain look, before a smile made its way to her face and she replied, "You're right. _And _if Crimson Abyss are performing that means they won't be able to enjoy the dance like ourselves!"

Hotaru sighed, "I just thought I said people jump to conclusions too much these days. And literally after I said that, you proved that my statement was correct. Mochu said _friends_. That does not necessarily mean Crimson Abyss."

"Uhhh, it so blatantly does!" Permy answered, "What other 'friends' will take the spotlight from you, mm? Apart from Crimson Abyss—well, Natsume Hyuuga?"

Mikan couldn't help roll her eyes inconspicuously. Natsume Hyuuga _this_, Natsume Hyuuga _that_—seriously, Permy had to get _over _him. That's when Mikan's eyes widened . . . Permy had to get over him . . .

. . . Was _that_ the problem? Was Permy actually not over Natsume yet?

This thought had never really occurred to Mikan, but now it did, she couldn't get it out of her head. She looked at Permy, who was now animatedly chatting to Anna and Nonoko and her brother . . . now Mikan thought about it, her newfound theory of Permy still liking Natsume was totally possible . . . and it wouldn't leave her mind.

"Mikan honey, you okay? You look a bit pale." Nonoko worriedly asked, her big eyes looking at her own hazel ones.

"O-oh! I'm fine—I . . . I'm going to get a drink, I'll be right back!" With that, Mikan pushed past her friends and some of the other contestants who were crowded around, and made her way to her changing room, where she knew she put her bottle of water. But she never managed to get there as she planned. She had a bit of an obstacle to pass—the obstacle being Luna in her little slutty maid outfit.

"Sweetie!" Luna purred, "How are you babes?"

Mikan sighed before she responded in a dull tone, "Hi Luna."

Luna's fake smile disintegrated, and she now looked at Mikan with a look of disgust before she threw her blonde hair back and said, "You know, I _really _want to be nice, but we _both _know I fucking hate your guts so whatever, right?" She girlish cleared her throat; if that's possible, before she continued, "Let me cut to the chase—stay away from Natsume. And don't even try to deny the fact you've been seeing him—Miranda saw you two together." For once, Mikan was glad that her friends weren't by her side; if they found out from _Luna _about her and Natsume's secret meetings, hell they would have been livid—minus Hotaru, of course. "You have no . . . _idea_," a wicked grin crossed Luna's pretty face, "what you're getting yourself in to if you don't stay away. I mean it. Girls . . . can be _just _as rough as boys, you know, Mikan. _Especially_ girls like me, _especially _to girls like _you_."

Mikan's nose flared, but before she could say or do anything in return, a masculine voice from behind barked, "Hey, I don't like how you're speaking to her."

Mikan turned around to see her brother, Ryo, standing behind her, with his lips pursed and jaw clenched.

Luna blinked her big blue eyes before a smile danced on her lips and she tittered, "Oh, is this the boy I've heard about, M? Is this your _boyfriend?_"

Mikan opened her mouth, but just as before, before she could reply, Ryo had put a secure arm around Mikan and said, "And so what if I am?"

Luna smiled, "Oh nothing, darling. Just thinking how your girlfriend is such a . . . well, skank!" she finished off with a chirpy laughter.

"Why you little—" But before Mikan could finish her sentence_,_ someone had cut her off _again_. But this time, nobody interrupted her; in fact, she had stopped speaking at her own will. A figure she had not noticed come beside her, had put his hand out, and touched Mikan's arm causing her to stop abruptly. The touch had somehow made goosebumps erupt on her skin. "Nat—Hyuuga."

She looked at him—and God almighty did he look good as ever, with his messy jet-black hair, crimson eyes that were surrounded by thick long black eyelashes, flawlessly pale skin and to-die-for cheekbones.

"Natsuuuuume!" Luna tinkled. "Darling!"

Completely ignoring her, Natsume now turned to face Mikan . . . and it didn't go unnoticed to her the fact that his crimson eyes had rested on Ryo's arm for more than five seconds. Ryo's arm that was draped around Mikan, mind you.

"So," his low gravelly voice coolly said, "you're Ryo."

Ryo grinned, "And I take it that _you're _Natsume Hyuuga." Ryo's grin was not a friendly grin; it was one of those I-want-to-beat-the-shit-out-of-you-but-for-now-I'm-going-to-annoy-you-by-smiling grin.

Mikan, at the moment, couldn't help feel _extremely _uncomfortable. Not to mention _short_. Random, yes, but being between Ryo and Natsume who were both more or less six foot tall, and being five foot three herself, really made her realize how small she was. But of course, the feeling of being uncomfortable than short was much greater—in fact, she wanted to laugh right then, laugh and say, "Natsume, m'chap, you've got it _allll _wrong! Ryo's my big bro! WOO!" But of course, she didn't. Because then Ryo would be like, "Wat da faak, dood?" (Not that he speaks like that; she just likes imaging him speak like that)

So, instead, she just looked up at her brother, telepathically telling him to shut his trap and walk away.

But course that didn't happen. Instead, the exact opposite of what she wanted happened. _Natsume _had been the one to walk away. Well, not before he looked at Ryo, smirked and said, "Well, enjoy your night."

And to make it worse, Ryo just had to shout after him. "Look out for her performance, mate!" he said, "It's for you!"

Natsume turned back around, to face Mikan and Ryo before he cocked his head to the side and replied, "I'm sure." And turned 180degrees, to continue his way away.

Mikan, and Ryo for the matter, had completely forgot that Luna was standing behind Natsume the whole entire time. A evil smile curled upon her pink lips before she stated, "Mikan, dear, this Round just shows how . . . _desperate _you are. All three of your songs have been dedicated to Natsume Hyuuga . . . bless." With a cackling laugh, Luna turned her body around, but not quite her face, to Mikan's dismay. "I've gotto go practice my dance, biatch. Enjoy it!" Luna blew a kiss at them, before she tinkled with laughter again, as she walked off, her hips swaying erotically.

"God I hate her. And god I hate _him _too!" Ryo declared, with a furious look on his face, "She may be hot, but she's a total psycho. And as for him," Ryo growled, "with his damn small talk, smirks—and the way he walks! God, I bet he thinks he owns the fucking school!"

Mikan couldn't help chortle with laughter at her brother. Even though, in some way she did want to smack him for inconveniently being there, and making the lie that he was her boyfriend seem more real, she couldn't help smile. She knew her brother didn't _want _to do this—he was just doing this all for her. And she appreciated that. She did love her brother, really. And she didn't want anything bad to happen to this brother she loved—and she _knew _something bad would now happen; Ryo had just spilt the fuel to the fire.

Ryo, she was sure, had made Natsume pissed. She could tell by the look in Natsume's eyes.

And right now, she knew the best thing to do was to finally explain everything to Natsume.

"Hey Ryo," Mikan started, "I have to go to the toilet."

"Cool."

"I'll be back soon—I'll meet you were my friends are?"

"Yeah sure." Ryo nodded, as he took his arm off his sister, who started to walk off, not before giving him a smile though. "Don't be too late, twat! We're on soon!"

"I won't, twibble!" Mikan answered in reply, as her walk started to accelerate into a jog. Unnoticed to Ryo, she was heading in the direction that Natsume Hyuuga had just left.

Mikan never knew that the backstage was so damn complicated. After taking many turns, did she find Natsume, in a totally unoccupied area, that was only occupied by old broken amps and an old drum kit. He was lazily sitting by the amp, his back resting on it, one of his legs stretched out, the other propped up. As soon as he noticed her presence, his crimson eyes looked up at her, only to meet with her hazel eyes. His eyes then flickered behind her, and when he realized she was now completely alone, he shifted his eyes back to her.

He smirked, "You look nice."

"Natsume—"

"And your boyfriend _seems _nice." He added, in a somewhat bitter tone that made Mikan raise an eyebrow. She made her way towards Natsume, and sat down beside him with her legs crossed.

"You sure sound like you mean that." She teased, causing Natsume to sneer. Mikan laughed before she turned to look at Natsume, who was looking straight at her again, with his penetrating eyes. She gazed back at him, before she blinked. "N-Natsume . . . I have to tell you . . . okay, my song . . . it's dedicated to you." He raised his eyebrows, but then a hard look crossed his face when she finished, "And it's, well, not that nice."

"Flattered as always."

Mikan lightly laughed before she looked up at his face again and said, "I'm not making any excuses, okay? B-But I just want to say . . . even if my song says something different . . . i-it's you, Natsume, it's you I want to dance with tonight."

Natsume's eyes widened by the slightest before they gently softened as he looked down at her. Mikan gave a timid smile before she continued; "Now I've warned you about my song, there's something else you've got to know. It's about R—"

"My song tonight is about you too," Natsume admitted, his voice gentle yet low as usual, "But, unlike _yours_," he brought his hand to her head and flicked her forehead, which caused her to give a babyish whine, "it's _nice_."

Mikan who was rubbing her forehead, stopped and looked and him and announced, "Well then, I can't wait to hear it." And with a genuine smile on her face, she let herself lean her head on his arms.

"The fact that you're leaning on me without looking guilty—I take it that you don't give a damn about your boyfriend then, eh?"

Mikan didn't miss the boyish and teasing tone in his voice and stopped leaning on him, and looked up at him and opened her mouth, "Natsume, there's something I gotta tell you abo—"

"Hey, just because I said that doesn't mean you have to stop leaning on me. I was just stating a fact." He smirked. "And, Polka, would you kill me if I did something to your boyfriend tonight?"

Mikan narrowed her eyes before she shrieked, "I _knew _it! I knew you were planning something—"

Natsume gave a throaty laugh before he flicked Mikan on her forehead again, which she responded to with a similar reaction but adding a warning, "Flick me one more time buddy, and I swear I'll bite you!"

Natsume raised his eyebrows once more and replied, "Kinky."

Mikan blinked, but then her cheeks turned a peachy pink and she growled under her breath. "You pig."

"And this is coming from a girl whose appetite is bigger than a pig's, and snorts sometimes when she laughs."

Mikan cupped her face with her hands and groaned, but couldn't help laugh in her hands too.

"Hey, Piggy," Natsume said, as he poked her, "I think you're up soon."

She looked at him, her eyes wide, "What?"

Natsume shrugged, "Just as guess. I'll say you have less than ten minutes left till it's your time."

"Because you're such a freaking genius-boy, I'm going to take your word for it, and go!" Mikan stood up, dusted her butt, and looked down and Natsume and added, "And don't call me Piggy!"

She was just about to sprint off, when a cold hand held onto her wrist, and again, she felt as if that part of the skin had been touched by electrical wires—shivers ran up her spine when she looked down to see Natsume gently holding her wrist. "Knock 'em dead." He murmured, as she felt looked into his crimson eyes, feeling as she was being sucked into them because of their irresistible beauty.

"Thanks," Mikan replied, a bright smile on her face.

"Mikan! Omigod, _there _you are!" Anna cried, as she pulled Mikan towards her friends. Mikan was panting—she had just sprinted her way back to her friends, who were now crowding around her. "Thank God—you just made it, Mikan! You're next!"

Mikan mentally thanked Natsume before she asked, "How do I look?"

"Don't talk—you have to catch your breath!" Permy commanded, and then with Anna and Nonoko looked her from head to toe, before announcing, "You look fine!—Just a little red!" Mikan sighed in relief, as Permy started to laugh as she nudged Mikan's shoulder, "For a moment there, I thought you were going to miss it!"

"Same!" Anna and Nonoko agreed with laughter evident in their voices.

Hotaru shook her head to the side and looked at Mikan knowingly, and Mikan immediately knew this look—it was the: tell-me-what-happened-later-or-perish-in-hell look. She knew her best friend too well. She also didn't miss the look of . . . uneasiness on Hotaru's face. Mikan furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, but before she could dwell on the matter, she turned to her left, then to her right before asking, "Where's Ryo?"

"Here." A voice from behind stated, and Mikan let out a sigh of relief when she twirled her head around saw her brother standing there. But her eyebrows furrowed even _more _when she saw the disturbed look on _his _face. And it wasn't Mikan wasn't the only one who noticed.

"You okay, Ryo?" Nonoko asked, "Stage fright?"

"No . . . I'm fine." He simply replied in a stony tone as his golden eyes turned to look at Mikan, with a scrutinizing gaze . . . he looked as if he had just been betrayed or greatly disappointed. Mikan tilted her head to the side, and touched her brother's arm, hinting to him to tell her what was up.

_Something's up_, Hotaru thought as she narrowed her eyes, _with Ryo as well. I've known the Sakura family for more than a decade—I can tell when something's up . . . I just hope this bad feeling of mine passes . . ._

Before anything else could be said, Narumi's voice echoed, "And that was Andrea Lamborghini the Italian hottie! Ahh, he's beautiful! . . . And for the next contestant!"

A bright smile crossed across Mikan's face, and she pulled her brother towards the stage as she said, "We're on, Ryo! Come on, we're next!"

"Good luck, Mikan! And Ryo!" her friends all called after her and her brother.

After Mikan blew a kiss to her friends, she linked arms with her brother and looked up at him, "Ryo, you okay?" she asked, as her and her brother waited for Mr. Narumi to officially call her name to the stage—

". . . How would you feel—"

"_Mikan Sakura!"_

"if you just saw your little sister with this guy she supposedly hates, practically in his _arms?"_

But Mikan didn't hear what her brother said. All she could hear was the cheers and screams of the crowd. "Sorry, Ryo, what did you say?" Mikan shouted over the loud noise.

"Doesn't matter, c'mon . . ." Ryo muttered, as he pulled his little sister out on the stage. "We'll talk later."

Mikan smiled and laughed, "As for now, let's do this!" she skipped happily towards the stage, dragging Ryo with her. The crowd, who were cheering, as soon as they saw Mikan on stage with _someone _in her hands—a gorgeous someone, mind you, they immediately all, "Ooooohed!" and "Aaahhhhed!" and wolf-whistled.

Taking the microphone from the stage manager, she thanked him before she spoke into it: "Good evening, Alice Academy!"

The Alice Academy, well crowd, whooped in reply.

With a giggle, Mikan continued, "Hope you all are having a fantastic Valentine's Day! This," she motioned to her brother, "is Ryo, and he'll be dancing with me tonight! But we don't want to be the only one's dancing—I hope you all enjoy my song, and hope you all dance along!" The crowd woo-ed at Mikan, who also woo-ed into the microphone before the music started.

Ryo looked at his sister with astonishment when she spoke to the crowd. Mikan seemed to be so happy and comfortable . . . it seemed as if she were born to perform.

Music started to blare out the speakers, and Mikan looked at Ryo, who gave her a look—a look that said, 'We start dancing in five seconds, and good luck.'

_Remedy  
Little Boots_

_I can see you stalking like a predator  
I've been here before  
Temptation calls like Adam to the apple_

_But I will not be caught_  
_Coz I can read those velvet eyes_  
_And all I see is lies_

_No more poison_  
_Killing my emotion_  
_I will not be frozen_  
_Dancing is my remedy, remedy, oh_  
_Stop stop preying_  
_Coz I'm not not playing_  
_I'm not frozen_  
_Dancing is my remedy, remedy, oh_

_Move while you're watching me_  
_Dance with the enemy_  
_I've got a remedy_

_Oh, oh-oh, oh-oh_

_Move while you're watching me  
Dance with the enemy_  
_Here is my remedy_

_Oh, oh-oh, oh-oh_

_Spin me faster like a kaleidoscope_  
_All I've got's the floor_  
_Yeah, you can try but I've found the antidote_  
_Music is the cure_  
_So you can try to paralyze_  
_But I know best this time_

_No more poison_  
_Killing my emotion_  
_I will not be frozen_  
_Dancing is my remedy, remedy, oh_  
_Stop stop preying_  
_Coz I'm not not playing_  
_I'm not frozen_  
_Dancing is my remedy, remedy, oh_

_Move while you're watching me_  
_Dance with the enemy_  
_I've got a remedy_

_Oh, oh-oh, oh-oh_

_Move while you're watching me_  
_Dance with the enemy_  
_Here is my remedy_

_Oh, oh-oh, oh-oh_

_La-da, da-da, la-da, la-da, da-da-da_  
_Da-da, da-da, da-da-da-da, la-da_

_And when the music fades away_  
_I know I'll be okay_  
_Contagious rhythm in my brain_  
_Let it play_

_No more poison_  
_Killing my emotion_  
_I will not be frozen_  
_Dancing is my remedy, remedy, oh_  
_Stop stop preying_  
_Coz I'm not not playing_  
_I'm not frozen_  
_Dancing is my remedy, remedy, oh_

_Move while you're watching me_  
_Dance with the enemy_  
_I've got a remedy_

_Oh, oh-oh, oh-oh_

_Move while you're watching me_  
_Dance with the enemy_  
_Here is my remedy_

_Oh, oh-oh, oh-oh_

_Move while you're watching me_  
_Dance with the enemy_  
_I've got a remedy_

_Oh, oh-oh, oh-oh_

_Move while you're watching me_  
_Dance with the enemy_  
_Here is my remedy_

_Oh, oh-oh, oh-oh!_

"Thank you, all! I hope to see you all on the Dance floor soon!" Mikan cried into the microphone, which was kindly responded to by the crowd, who all screamed and cheered in reply. By the way the crowd danced while she sang her song and danced with Ryo, she could tell that they had enjoyed it—or at least, she hoped. She was glad—so, so, so glad that her performance had gone well—including her dance, she had not screwed it up, and hell her brother had been incredible—she didn't miss the screaming girl's voice that cried, "You're so hot, whoever you are!"

But as good as Mikan felt, she couldn't help feel a bit . . . guilty. Mean, even . . . if Natsume had been watching, that is . . .

"Thank you!" she repeated, as she did curtseyed, and taking her brother's arm, and passing the microphone to the stage man, she started to make her way off the stage, the crowd waving at her in the process. "And that was the beautiful Mikan Sakura! My, my, I wonder who that tasty boy was! He should join the Annie Academy—the Academy of Dance in Tokyo!"

"Mikan!" her friends called, as they pulled her into a hug. "That was incredible! You ever had _us _dancing, and we've listened to you practice a thousand times!"

"It was _fantabulous!" _Permy exclaimed, "Fucking incredible! I bet Hyuuga's jealous now—ha!" she cackled.

"Thanks guy—hey! Ryo!" she said, as she watched her brother walk, more like _stomp _away from her, "Where are you going?"

With no reply, and no acknowledgement that Mikan had spoken to him, he continued to make his way away from her and her friends. "You were great too, Ryo!" Permy called after him, hopefully.

Mikan sighed and she turned to her friends, "Thanks guys so much! But I'll be right back!" and with that, she gave a hug to each of her friends before she dashed off to follow her brother.

"Ryo! Ryo!"

Ryo ignored her, and continued to walk away—at a faster pace. He was heading towards an isolate place—there was no one around them when Mikan had finally caught up with her brother. "Ryo," Mikan grabbed her brother's arm, "what the _hell _is up?" she demanded, as she twirled him around so he could face her. She looked at his face, and saw he had the same betrayed look on his face, as he did a few minutes ago. "What's up?" she repeated.

"Okay, I'll tell you _what's up!_" Ryo replied, his voice harsh, as he shook his arm away from his sister's grasp, "Mikan, I am _here _in Tokyo in your school to make your so-called enemy jealous!"

"Y- . . . Yeah—"

"Then why the _fuck _did I see you with that Hyuuga dude, huh? Acting all cozy, huh?"

Mikan's eyes widened, "Wh-what?"

"Yeah, I saw you with him. Hotaru made me go look for you because it was nearly our time to go on stage, and _there_ I find you with him sitting together acting all smitten! I thought you hated his guts—your friend Sumire just said literally a second ago: I bet Hyuuga's jealous now—what the _hell _is going on with _me_, Mikan? No, Mikan, what the hell is going on with _YOU!_"

Mikan was completely shocked. Her brother saw her with Natsume? Did he hear them? ". . . It's complicated—"

"Well then, spit it out!"

" . . . Did you hear anything we said?"

Ryo clenched his fists before he said, "No, I didn't. I literally only saw you for two seconds before turning back around."

"Ryo . . . I'm so so sorry for dragging you into all this mess." Mikan sighed, as she looked up at her brother with her hazel eyes, "I-I don't know if you know or if anyone told you but Permy—Sumire is Natsume's ex. And she's . . . well, been wanting to get revenge on him, I'm pretty sure. Hotaru thinks so too, and at first, I admit I thought it'd serve him right, if we gave him a bit of his own medicine because he was so horrible to Permy, from her stories anyway."

"_And?_"

"A-At first," her voice stuttered after hearing her brother's tone of voice, "as I said, when he took interest in me, I tried my best to evade and ignore Natsume. But then this year . . . for some reason, Ryo, he's like a different person! He's not anything like Permy portrayed him," _except for the big hands, _she mentally added.

"But he's still the same guy that wanted to 'bang' you—"

"No," Mikan laughed, "he's not. That's not true, Ryo! I thought it was, I _did _when I called you. But it turns out Permy made that up!" Ryo didn't say anything in reply, and just looked at Mikan sceptically. Mikan sighed before she said, "Ryo, I'm really sorry—"

"Even though what happened between your friend, Sumire and him may be untrue, what about your other friend, Aoi, huh? She's his little sister, and she doesn't seem to love him, or think he's a great guy!"

"S-Something happened in the past between them," Mikan explained unsurely, "she said that they used to be close, but then something happened . . ."

"You should tell your friends the truth." Mikan looked up at her brother in alarm, but before she could say anything, he continued, "You're going out with your friends' enemy behind their back—"

"I'm not going out with him, Ryo! He's not my boyfriend! And _Hotaru _knows about all of this—"

"Well, it's not right to keep it a secret from the rest of your friends. It selfish, and at this rate Mikan, it's not going to end well if you keep on doing this."

Mikan paused. Selfish? Her? . . . that thought never crossed her mind; never in these past couple of weeks did she ever think she was being _selfish _by not telling the rest of her friends about her and Natsume's relationship. But was Ryo right? _Was _she in fact being selfish? Suddenly, she felt a whoosh of guiltiness. "W-What do you think I should do then, Ryo?" she asked in a quiet whisper.

"Tell your friends. Duh."

Mikan looked up, and she cried, "But Ryo—"

"Trust me. And I'd start with Aoi if I were you."

Mikan felt a lump in her throat, but she swallowed it done as she nodded. Maybe Ryo was right. Maybe she should come clean with her friends—she would indeed feel much better if she didn't have to go sneaking about and lying to them . . . but what would they say? . . . But when she thought about it, she'd rather have a friend that told the truth, even if it were ugly. An ugly truth is always better than a beautiful lie. A vulnerable smile crossed her face, and she edged closer to her brother and gave him a hug, "Thanks, Ryo . . . I _will _tell my friends . . . but not tonight. I'm not ruining their night."

"Don't wait too long though, Mikan."

"I won't." Mikan promised. She was glad. She was glad that she invited her brother—to the Academy, and to the Third Round. It was good to see him, and not to mention, she forgot that her brother, even though he was a complete pain in the ass, _did _help her. For example, he was the one who taught her to play the guitar. And he had helped her sneak out the house when she was back home at Nagoya for a party.

"Shit, does Hyuuga know that I'm actually your brother?"

"Nope, why?"

"Because I would have made a fool of myself if he knew and I was pretending to be all cosy with you . . ." Ryo shuddered, "You don't understand how frigging incest I felt. Incest _and_ pedophilic. You look at least five years younger than me."

Mikan sniggered before she gasped, "Oh, Ryo, just in case, if you see him tonight, and if he offers you anything, don't take anything from him!" Mikan warned, suddenly remembering what Natsume had said earlier.

Ryo raised his eyebrows, but then a fatherly look crossed his face and he replied, "Same with _you! _I still don't trust that guy—who knows if he'll give you a drugged drink to make you aroused!"

Mikan laughed out loud and patted her brother, "Chill, Hotaru has given me a _huge _lecture about that matter!"

"I don't like that Hyuuga though." Ryo stated with his nose crinkled. "I'll give him this—he _is_ pretty damn good looking."

Mikan threw her head back as she laughed out loud, "You know what's _really _ironic, Ryo? He wrote a song about you looking gay. And you just _sounded _gay by saying that! Maybe Natsume's right, huh, Ryo?" she nudged her brother, who turned pale with mortification.

"Shit," He murmured, causing Mikan to laughed harder. He turned to Mikan, and bonked her on her head and firmly said, "I am straight, goddamit Mikan!_ Straight!_"

"Riiiiight."

__**0**

**End of Chapter**

**0**


	20. The Third Round: Part II

**Disclaimer:** Don't own it.

**0**

**My Happy Ending  
**_**by Little Miss Giggle**_

**0**

**Chapter Seventeen: The Third Round Part II**

**0**

_I don't need no superman, with special powers and a fake tan,  
to try and save the day for me.  
Why can't he just let me be?_

__**0**

"Go Anna and Nonoko!" Mikan whooped, as she clapped her hands together along with her friends and the crowd. "Good luck!" she added before she now whistled. Permy was cheering loudly, just like Mikan, whilst Hotaru was cheering in a much more civil way—she was merely just clapping her hands together, her violet eyes firmly on the twins who were now on centre stage.

The Third Round had surprisingly gone by very quickly for the five girls and Ryo; after Mikan's performance, before they knew it, Hotaru and Permy went on stage to perform their piece—which, of course, had gone brilliantly. Although the pieces were classical, the crowd seemed to sway and twirl with the beat, and the judges—especially Jinno—looked dead impressed. And to say Ryo was surprised by the high level of music in the Alice Academy was an understatement—he was completely baffled at how _every _contestant brought something new to the stage.

"So, do Anna and Nonoko sing?" Ryo asked his little sister, who just smiled and replied, "Just wait and see."

"Hey y'all!" Anna and Nonoko cried into their own microphones in sync, their cheeks flushed a peachy pink, "this is Anna and Nonoko here to make you move your feet tonight!" The crowd happily cheered—after all, these twins were so damn cute!

_Our Song  
Taylor Swift_

_I was riding shotgun with my hair undone  
In the front seat of his car  
He's got a one-hand feel on the steering wheel  
The other on my heart  
I look around, turn the radio down  
He says, "Baby is something wrong?"  
I say, "Nothing I was just thinking  
How we don't have a song."_

_And he says, "Our song is the slamming screen door  
Sneakin' out late, tapping on your window  
When we're on the phone and you talk real slow  
'Cause it's late and your mama don't know  
Our song is the way you laugh  
The first date man, I didn't kiss her and I should have,"  
And when I got home, 'fore I said amen  
Asking God if He could play it again _

_I was walking up the front porch steps  
After everything that day  
Had gone all wrong or been trampled on  
And lost and thrown away  
Got to the hallway, well, on my way  
To my lovin' bed  
I almost didn't notice all the roses _

_And the note that said, "Our song is the slamming screen door  
Sneakin' out late, tapping on your window  
When we're on the phone and you talk real slow  
'Cause it's late and your mama don't know  
Our song is the way you laugh  
The first date man, I didn't kiss her and I should have."  
And when I got home, 'fore I said amen  
Asking God if He could play it again_

_I've heard every album, listened to the radio  
Waited for something to come along  
That was as good as our song_

_'Cause our song is the slamming screen door  
Sneakin' out late, tapping on his window  
When we're on the phone and he talks real slow  
'Cause it's late and his mama don't know  
Our song is the way he laughs  
The first date man, I didn't kiss him and I should have  
And when I got home, 'fore I said amen  
Asking God if He could play it again  
Play it again, oh, yeah, oh, oh, yeah_

_I was riding shotgun with my hair undone  
In the front seat of his car  
I grabbed a pen and an old napkin  
And I wrote down our song._

"Country," Ryo smiled, "should have known!"

"Ahhh, I loved it!" Mikan laughed, before she put two fingers in her mouth and whistled loudly.

"Thanks y'all! God bless you all!" Anna and Nonoko said before they both curtseyed, and came skipping back to their friends, an ecstatic smile present on both their faces. "Damn, that felt good!" Anna exclaimed, as Permy pulled them both into a bone-crushing hug.

"Well, it was fabulous!" Permy announced after Narumi had called on the next act, "You should have seen the crowd—they loved it!"

"Judges?" Nonoko asked.

"They looked content, not to worry." Hotaru answered, as she nodded reassuringly.

Mikan giggled before she nudged Ryo, "Where's your shower of compliments, eh, Ryo? Quit being a Bashful!" The girls all laughed at Mikan's older brother's cool reaction; he scratched the back of his head before he sighed and said, "It was good. I enjoyed it."

Anna and Nonoko beamed, and gave each other a high five behind their backs, which didn't go unnoticed by Hotaru, who sighed. Deary me, was Ryo _really _that special?

"Okay, let's see . . . two more acts," Permy's face lightened up immensely before she girlishly shrieked, "then _dance!"_

The girls all had the same reaction—they all squealed and cheered—all except for Hotaru of course, who crinkled her nose. She still wasn't too keen on the idea of going down there onto that insanely decorated dance floor. And Ryo, being a dude, didn't show his excitement for the dance, because well, that would be _lame_.

The girls continued their tittering chattering—except for Hotaru of course, who seemed to be bored with these girlish conversations. Instead, she seemed to be changing her settings on her camera, and when Ryo asked her what the hell she was doing, she merely replied, "This camera is going to be my way to success." before she turned to him, and snapped a picture of Ryo. Ryo blinked, trying to get the flashing light out of his light when he heard Hotaru comment, "Nice. I think I might actually sell this."

Suddenly, the cheering doubled. Mikan thought she had imagined it, but then a knowing smile crossed her face. The nineteenth act was retreating off stage—meaning it was finally time for the last performance.

"Oh sweet Jesus," Ryo muttered, as the volume of the crowd accelerated. He couldn't help cover his ears slightly—the cheering was somewhat unbearable.

"_Aaaaaaaannnnndddd _finally on stage my darlings, is . . . the highly anticipated _Crimson Abyss!_"

The lights on the stage dimmed, and the crowd's cheering quieted down . . . before the light came down on the stage, _with _the four members of Crimson Abyss in position; Natsume Hyuuga being the closest to the crowd, which immediately and obviously caused the crowd to shout with joy. And without any words, the ear-piercing sound of the electric guitar came blaring out of the speakers.

The effect was immediate. Everybody started to jump up and down—in short, everybody started to _dance._

_Take My Hand  
Simple Plan_

_(Ruka, Koko and Kitsune-me:) Hey Hey! Hey Hey!_

_Sometimes I feel like everybody's got a problem  
Sometimes I feel like nobody wants to solve them  
I know that people say we're never going to make it  
But I know we're going to get through this _

_(Ruka, Koko and Kitsune-me:) Close your eyes and please don't let me go  
_

_Don't, Don't, Don't, Don't let me go now _

_(Ruka, Koko and Kitsune-me:) Close your eyes don't let me let you go _

_Don't, Don't, Don't_

_Take my hand tonight  
Let's not think about tomorrow  
Take my hand tonight  
We could find some place to go  
Cause our hearts are locked forever  
And our love will never die  
Take my hand tonight  
One last time_

_The city sleeps and we're lost in the moment  
Another kiss says we're lying on the pavement  
If they could see us they would tell us that we're crazy  
But I know they just don't understand _

(Ruka, Koko and Kitsune-me:) _Close your eyes and please don't let me go _

_Don't, Don't, Don't, Don't let me go now _

(Ruka, Koko and Kitsune-me:) _Close your eyes don't let me let you go Don't, Don't, Don't_

_Take my hand tonight  
Let's not think about tomorrow  
Take my hand tonight  
We could find some place to go  
Cause our hearts are locked forever  
And our love will never die  
Take my hand tonight  
One last time_

_(Ruka, Kitsune-me and Koko:) Hey Hey ! Hey Hey!_

_The raindrops  
The tears keep falling  
I see your face and it keeps me going  
If I get lost your light's going to guide me  
And I know that you can take me home  
You can take me home_

_Take my hand tonight  
Let's not think about tomorrow  
Take my hand tonight  
We could find some place to go  
Cause our hearts are locked forever  
And our love will never die  
Take my hand tonight  
One last time_

_Take my hand tonight  
Let's not think about tomorrow  
Take my hand tonight  
We could find some place to go  
Cause our hearts are locked forever  
And our love will never die  
Take my hand tonight  
One last time_

Girls were _crying _in the audience—crying that the song had ended. Even the guys had that, Awww-that's-it? look on plastered on their faces. Even _Jinno_, that toad-dude was _tapping _his feet while Crimson Abyss performed—tapping his feet to the beat! The song, it was obvious to say, was a definite road to the Fourth Round. No doubts about that.

Natsume seemed a bit breathless after his performance—hell, why wouldn't he after _that?_—and putting the microphone close to his lips, he said in an irresistibly raspy voice, "Thank you and we'll see you all soon." And with that, he turned his back on the screaming crowd, and with his bandmates—Kitsune-me was waving; Ruka who was beaming; and Koko who was hitting his chest with his two fists like Tarzan to the crowd—left the stage.

Left the crowd wanting more, too.

Mikan was absolutely speechless. Halfway through the chorus she thought she recognized those three words; Take my hand, and then it hit her once the first chorus was over. The elevator—when he told her to take his hand and close her eyes. She couldn't help go a peachy pink once she had figured it out. Many emotions were pumping in her heart—she couldn't quite describe how she felt about this song. It was . . . it was . . .—

"Random, much?" Permy scoffed as she rolled her eyes, "Look at that crowd going mental—I mean, fine, it was a good song, but what was the _point _of it. Sheesh," she shook her head disapprovingly.

A frown formed on Mikan's face as she looked at Permy. Permy may not know it, but she had just called a song that was dedicated to her, _random. _Incredible, seemed a more appropriate word! Her hazel eyes then flickered to Hotaru's amethyst ones, which she felt were on her. Once their eyes were on each other, Hotaru gave Mikan a small knowing look, which Mikan returned with a wink.

"I liked it," Ryo commented, "there's no harm in that, right?"

Anna and Nonoko shook their heads, agreeing with Ryo while Permy's lip twitched. Mikan couldn't help playfully nudge Ryo on the back, which went unseen by her friends, as she laughed mentally. _Take that, Permy!_ She smiled when Ryo nudged her back.

"Well," Permy sighed, "it was okay, I guess."

Okay—well, that was better than random!

"Wee!" Nonoko cried, "Ladies and Gentlemen, the Third Round is _officially _over!" Mikan gasped, completely forgetting about that point—"Which means," Nonoko said suggestively, only to be continued by all the girls who cheered, "The Valentine's Day Dance!"

Except Hotaru, of course. She just covered her ears and groaned.

"Let's go get _dressed!" _Anna squealed. "And then we'll go down and find Aoi! And _then _we can d-d-d-daaaannnceee!"

**0**

By the time Mikan came out of her changing room, with her new gold-poofball dress, new shoes, new accessories, her hair down and curly, her make-up perfect, Mochu was already on the stage, providing music for the Dance. The Dance had officially started, and Mikan linked her arms with Hotaru and her brother, and couldn't wait to get down there. Her other three friends had left earlier to go find Aoi in the mush-pit of a crowd, and were successful—as by the time Mikan, Hotaru and Ryo got down there, Aoi was with their other friends, laughing.

Once her crimson eyes had caught the sight of the approaching Mikan, Hotaru and Ryo, Aoi quickly walked towards them, and flew into Mikan's arms, into a hug. "You two—no you three—were all so good! Seriously!" she nudged Ryo before she stated, "Never knew you had it in you, Ryo!"

"Why thanks!"

Aoi smiled before she turned to Mikan and Hotaru and said, "You both look beautiful!"

"You too, Aoi!" Mikan answered, which Hotaru agreed to by nodding.

Permy, Anna and Nonoko had now joined them, and were crowded around them. They joined the conversation, except for Permy who had her neck sticking out, as if she were looking for someone.

"Hey guys, do you see Hyuuga?" Permy asked, as she turned back to her friends.

"Nope!" Anna chirped back.

"Hmm . . ." A smirk them crossed her face, and she boldly asked, "Hey, Ryo, you wanna dance?"

Ryo blinked, before he shrugged and answered, "Why not?"

Permy clapped her hand happily before she exclaimed, "Sweet!" taking Ryo's hand, the two headed closer towards the stage, but not before Permy turned her head around and said, "Mikan, when you see You-Know-Who, come to us immediately and take Ryo from me and dance with him, okay?"

"Mmm . . ." _No way, _she firmly said in her head. No way. She turned to her four friends and asked in a deep husky voice, "Hey, you four ladies wanna dance with me?"

Anna, Nonoko and Aoi laughed while Hotaru rolled her eyes. "We'll be _thrilled _to!" And with that, they all burst out laughing, and all started to crazily dance to Mochu's song, 99 Problems.

**0**

Mochu had only played three songs, but in that short span of time, Anna and Nonoko had left Mikan, Aoi and Hotaru for two boys, who had asked them to dance. Hotaru had been asked to dance too, by a chap who had the guts to call her, "Cool Blue Sky", which she _obviously _rejected rather cruelly—"Why would you say yes to a guy who calls you Cool Blue Sky?" she demanded when Mikan had asked why she had turned him down.

Aoi had been asked to. But she politely declined, and Mikan couldn't help nudge her and say, "Your dance is saved for darling Youichi, nooo?"

"Shut up, Mikan!" she cried, as she nudged Mikan back, "And what's _your _excuse for rejecting those past three guys who asked your hand for a dance, eh? Do _you _secretly have a dance saved for someone, mm?" Mikan opened her mouth, and then dumbly closed it. Hotaru snickered as Aoi giggled, "Only joking, Mikan."

It was true though, why did she reject the past three guys? They weren't hideous or anything, didn't smell, didn't dance lamely—so _why? _Mikan pressed her lips together—she knew why, but she didn't want to admit it. Somehow, she felt that she only had one person she wanted to dance with tonight. And that one person was Natsume Hyuuga.

Suddenly, Hotaru walked away from Mikan and Aoi, causing Mikan to call after her, "Where are you going—"

Hotaru didn't bother turning back, instead she just held up her right hand. And in her right hand, was her camera. "I'm going to take pictures—one word: money."

"Ahh . . . well, have fun!" Mikan said, as she waved comically, even though she knew Hotaru wasn't looking. Sometimes, life is such a manga.

"You wanna get a drink, Mikan? I'm thirsty as hell!"

Mikan nodded and replied, "I am too, surprisingly!" and without second thoughts, the two girls linked arms and made their way to the little "Bar", where water was being served by Narumi himself. Mikan and Aoi chatted animatedly the whole way, and even after they had gotten their drinks from Narumi. They then proceeded to the corner, where there were a few chairs to rest on.

"That," Aoi laughed at Mikan, "is a terrible joke. Absolutely terrible!"

Mikan pouted before she took a sip of her water and said, "I thought it was quite good!"

"No way, girl!" Aoi laughed once again.

Then, a small group of girls passed Aoi and Mikan, and the group of girls were all speaking very fast, and very loudly, so the two couldn't help eavesdrop into their conversation: "—was so hot tonight! But woah, nothing could beat _Natsume Hyuuga! _I wanted to jump on stage and rip his clothes off and then—"

Mikan pursed her lip before she looked at Aoi, who had a lips pressed together. She noticed Mikan looking at her, so she smiled and said, "My brother was pretty damn good tonight, eh?"

"Y-Yeah! He . . . he really was." Mikan swallowed hard . . . was this the moment she was supposed to tell Aoi that she had been seeing her brother secretly? Behind all of their backs . . .? _No, _she thought, _not tonight. I'm not ruining Aoi's night. _Instead of telling Aoi the truth, Mikan thought she might give it a shot, and ask _Aoi _for the truth . . . plucking up her courage, Mikan asked, "H-Hey, Aoi . . . can I ask you something?"

Aoi nodded, "Sure, go ahead!"

". . . W-What happened between you and Natsume?"

Aoi's crimson eyes widened in, what seemed like, alarm, before she blinked multiple times.

"Sorry Aoi!" Mikan cried, immediately regretting her choice of asking Aoi, "I mean, it's none of my business—"

"We . . . we were really close," Aoi softly murmured, causing Mikan to zip her mouth, and listen carefully to what Aoi was going to say, "like you and your brother . . . and then it just all changed _one night_ . . . N-Natsume never got along with my—_our _dad . . . and he just had enough, and needed to getaway. And well, you _know _what happened to him when he came to Tokyo." She let out a prickly breath before she bitterly added, "A bastard."

"Aoi, I'm sorry—"

"But then again," she continued, as if Mikan had never interrupted her, "I know Permy claims him to be a bastard, as well as _loads _of other people, and to some extent he is one. But all this play-boy attitude . . . is _not _him. I knew him well enough to say that . . ." she blinked, as if she realized what she had just said, and then concluded it all by saying, "Forget it."

Mikan, who had her lips pressed together, opened her mouth, only to say, "Aoi—"

Before Aoi interrupted her, with a sad smile on her face, "It's no biggie. It happens all the time, right? People you know become people you knew. We are becomes we were . . . it's the way life is, to be honest."

Mikan then leaned over to her friend, and gave Aoi a hug, which she didn't break for a long long time. And Aoi seemed to be thankful, and hugged Mikan back, pressing her head in Mikan's shoulders. Gently, she patted Aoi's back as she evaluated everything Aoi had just said . . . One night? One night had changed everything? One night before Natsume had joined the Academy . . . so he still lived in Sapporo when whatever it was happened? And Natsume didn't get along with his father?

Mikan bit her lip. _Aoi . . . it's true that people you know can sometimes become people you knew, _she thought, _but this 'person' is your brother . . ._

**0**

**Four Songs Later . . .**

**0**

_You're a hot mess  
And I'm falling for you  
And I'm like, "Hot damn!  
Lemme make you my boo!"_

Mikan was lost in the crowd. And she had no idea how she had managed to lose her friends—one minute she was jumping up and down with her friends to the new song that Mochu was performing, and then, the next minute, she turned to look at them, only to see some guys looking at her as if she were a piece of cake.

"Where are they?" Mikan whined as she pushed herself out of the crowd, with a frown on her face, "Whereeeee—"

Suddenly, a cold hand clasped her own hand, and with a squeak emitting from her hand did she realize someone was dragging her to a shady dark area of the dance floor.

"Excuse me, can you let me go—" Mikan cried, only to stop when she saw _who _this hand belonged to. Messy raven hair, crimson hair—it could only be one guy. "N-Natsume!"

"Your friends are _constantly _by your side. Seriously."

Mikan blinked, before she laughed. "You've been trying to catch me for some time then, mm?"

"You have _no _idea." Natsume murmured before he looked down at her with his eyebrows raised, "So. You were trying to make me jealous, eh?"

Mikan titled her head, "Huh?"

"Your performance."

Mikan sheepishly grinned before she poked Natsume in the shoulder and innocently asked, "And did it work?" Natsume scowled in reply and laughed out loud—and she couldn't help feeling happy by his reaction. After her laugh had died down, she pressed her lips together and admitted in a quiet voice, "I liked your song Natsume. I really did."

He smiled for a fraction of second before he shrugged, "It's yours."

Mikan thankfully smiled, but then she sighed and bit her lip. Natsume's eyebrows furrowed—he could tell something was up. He gently nudged her, urging her to tell him what was up. Mikan looked up at his crimson eyes before she sighed and announced, "I got a wake-up call tonight."

Natsume cocked his eyebrow, "Is that supposed to be ironic?"

Mikan couldn't help smile at Natsume's terrible humour, but then her smile vanished and she continued, "I got a wake-up call tonight that I've been stupid, Natsume. Stupid and selfish . . . I'm _lying _to my friends! And I . . . I wanna come clean."

Natsume narrowed his eyes, "Are you—"

"Saying I'm going to tell my friends about us? Yeah, I am. And that includes your sister, Aoi."

Natsume's lips twitched at the sound of Aoi's name, and Mikan couldn't help feeling hurt _for _Aoi—what had Aoi done to deserve this treatment from her brother?

"Natsume, I have to ask you something." Natsume didn't say anything in reply, instead he bit the insides of his cheeks, so Mikan continued, "W-What happened that night? That night in Sapporo?" Mikan held her breath, but then felt her blood stop and heart sink when she saw the look on Natsume's face.

It was a dangerous look. "Who . . . who told you?" he icily demanded, his voice low and quiet.

It made Mikan's back shiver, and she stammered, "No-No-one—"

"Was it Aoi? Or did—"

"No-one told me, Natsume!" Mikan firmly said, "I'm just—_something _happened, I know it, because whenever we talk about her, or me and Aoi talk about you, you both—"

"It is _none_ of your business. What happened in my past stays in my past. And you have _nothing _to do with it." He pushed past Mikan as he said "Excuse me." And disappeared into the crowd.

Mikan felt her mouth go dry, and her heartbeat quicken. And that's when she realized what she did—she whirled her head around and called his name, hoping he was still there so she could apologize! "What did I just do?" she muttered to herself, as she sighed. She knew it wasn't her business, but somehow and for some bizarre reason, she felt that this—the truth of the Hyuuga Secret—was a _key _to something. To what lock, she had no idea. And she wasn't going to quit till she found out. Mikan Sakura, was not a quitter, that's for sure.

**0**

**Three and a Half Songs Later**

**0**

"I frigging love this Dance!" Nonoko announced, with a flushed look on her face. Mikan had thankfully managed to find Permy, Nonoko, Anna, and her brother, all clustered together practically in the middle of the dance floor.

Anna nodded in agreement, as she continued to dance around with her twin.

"Hey, where's Aoi?" Mikan asked her friends and brother, hoping they would know.

"Last time I saw, she was dancing with Youichi!" Permy winked suggestively, "They are so caahhuuute together!" Mikan nodded with a small smile on her face. Youichi and Aoi . . . yeah, she was fine with that. Totally. "Where's _your _best friend, Hotaru Imai?"

Mikan snorted, "Taking pictures."

Ryo shook his head, "That girl never changes, does she?"

Mikan smiled, "That's why I love her."

Anna and Nonoko and Permy all looked at Mikan, with their eyebrows furrowed. "Okay I'm not a mind-reader, but I can tell you're down. What's up, Mikan?" Permy asked, as she nudged Mikan. Anna and Nonoko nodded in reply while Permy added, "We've only got—" she checked Ryo's watch, "—_shit! _We've only have less than five minutes left of this dance!" she cried, absolutely horrified.

"What?" Anna exclaimed, her mouth hanging.

"No way!" Nonoko boo-hooed, with a sad look on her face. "Good things go by _way _took quickly!"

To be honest, Mikan couldn't wait to get back into her room and crash onto her bed. She was exhausted after these past two days. So much had happened in so little time—she _needed _a good night's sleep.

"Y'all have been a great audience," Mochu's voice suddenly echoed in the Hall, "Great, great audience!" the crowd whooped, "That last song, was called 'Thank You', and it _would _be an appropriate song for the end . . . I just wanna say, thank you, thank you, you're far too kind . . . and do you wanna ENCORE?"

The crowd roared appreciatively in reply, and Mochu laughed into the microphone and said, "Sounds like a yes to me! So please welcome, Crimson Abyss for the Encore!"

At the sound of the band name, Mikan immediately focused, and turned to the stage, on her tippy toes, hoping to get a glimpse of him. Sadly, she was too short, but she could tell Crimson Abyss had come on the stage, because the crowd was now going ballistic all over again. Suddenly, Mikan was being carried, which made her squeak, and before she knew it, she was on the shoulder of her brother.

She looked down at him, confused, but then Ryo said, "Thank me later, Shortie."

Mikan smiled, before she laughed, and ruffled Ryo's hair. _Now _she had a clear view of the stage.

_Numb/Encore_  
_Jay-Z feat. Linkin Park_

_(Mochu:) Thank you, thank you, thank you, you're far too kind_  
_Now can I get an encore, do you want more  
Cookin raw with the Brooklyn boy  
So for one last time I need y'all to roar_

_(Natsume and Mochu:) Now what the hell are you waitin for ?_

_(Mochu:) After me, there shall be no more  
So for one last time, nigga make some noise_

_Who you know fresher than Hov' Riddle me that  
The rest of y'all know where I'm lyrically at  
Can't none of y'all mirror me back  
Yeah hearin me rap is like hearin G. Rap in his prime  
I'm, young H.O., rap's Grateful Dead  
Back to take over the globe, now break bread  
I'm in, Boeing jets, Global Express  
Out the country but the Blueberry still connect  
On the low but the yacht got a triple deck  
But when you Young, what the fuck you expect? Yep, yep  
Grand openin, grand closing  
God your man Hov' cracked the can open again  
Who you gon' find doper than him with no pen  
just draw off inspiration  
Soon you gon' see you can't replace him  
with cheap imitations for DESE GENERATIONS_

_Now can I get an encore, do you want more  
Cookin raw with the Brooklyn boy  
So for one last time I need y'all to roar_

_(Natsume and Mochu:) Now what the hell are you waitin for?_

_After me, there shall be no more  
So for one last time, nigga make some noise_

_(Natsume:) What the hell are you waiting for?_

_(Mochu:) [sighs] Look what you made me do, look what I made for you  
Knew if I paid my dues, how will they pay you  
When you first come in the game, they try to play you  
Then you drop a couple of hits, look how they wave to you  
From Marcy to Madison Square  
To the only thing that matters in just a matter of years (yea)  
As fate would have it, Jay's status appears  
to be at an all-time high, perfect time to say goodbye  
When I come back like Jordan, wearin the 4-5  
It ain't to play games witchu  
It's to aim at you, probably maim you  
If I owe you I'm blowin you to smithereeens  
Cocksucker take one for your team  
And I need you to remember one thing  
I came, I saw, I conquered  
From record sales, to sold out concerts  
So muh'fucker if you want this encore  
I need you to scream, 'til your lungs get sore_

_(Natsume:) I'm tired of being what you want me to be  
Feeling so faithless lost under the surface  
Don't know what you're expecting of me  
Put under the pressure of walking in your shoes _

_(Caught in the undertow just caught in the undertow) _

_Every step that I take is another mistake to you_

_(Caught in the undertow just caught in the undertow) _

_And every second I waste is more than I can take_

_I've become so numb I can't feel you there  
I've become so tired so much more aware  
I'm becoming this all I want to do  
Is be more like me and be less like you_

_I've become so numb _

_(Mochu:) Can I get an encore, do you want more (more...)_

_I've become so numb_

_(Mochu:) So for one last time I need y'all to roar  
One last time I need y'all to roar_

Now Mikan had thought about it, she had never had _really _seen Natsume perform. Sure, she had from backstage, but she could only see him from side on, if she were lucky that is. She usually only saw his back, so when Mikan saw his perform out there with his band and Mochu, she took in every detail. And she could now understand when the girls gushed how "hot Natsume Hyuuga looks when he sings," because well, when Natsume Hyuuga sang, damn he _did _look hot. He closed his eyes at times, and just let his mouth and throat do all the work. It didn't go unnoticed though, to Mikan, how angry and upset he looked when he sang this song. Maybe he _always _looked like that when he sang, but just looking at his expression made Mikan feel a bit sad. Singing was Natsume Hyuuga's passion. Then why, she thought, did he look so upset when he was doing the thing he loves?

"Thank you Alice Academy!" Mochu roared into the microphone, only for the noise of the crowd to roar straight back at him, "Hope y'all had an incredible night—and don't forget to buy my CD when it comes out, all you mofos!"

Mikan gave a high pitch squeak, when she felt her brother hold her hips, and bring her back down to the crowd, "Hey—that tickled, Ryo—"

"Damn Mikan, you're heavy!" Ryo teased.

"Shut up, Ryo!" Mikan bit out, as she smacked him on the arm. Then she sulked, "Now I feel short again!" Ryo sniggered, as the people around them continued cheering for Mochu and Crimson Abyss who were now exiting the stage.

"Well," Permy sighed, "I guess the Dance is over . . ."

"Hey, guys, what song was that?" Mikan asked her friends. Ryo didn't seem to have heard Mikan, while Anna and Nonoko shrugged, not knowing the answer.

"Encore by Mochu put together with the song Numb by Crimson Abyss," Permy knowingly said.

"That was their first song collaborated together,"

Mikan twirled her head around to the source of the voice, and a bright smile lit her face when she saw Hotaru now standing beside them. "Hotaru!" Mikan cried, "You've been gone for _ages! _I've been looking for you!" then she edged closer to her and whispered, "I have to tell you something . . ."

Hotaru nodded and squeezed Mikan's hand, reassuring her that they would indeed speak later.

"Ladies and gents—now that, I'm sure you all will agree was an incredible night!" Mr. Narumi's voice rang clearly, "But now, to spoil or to make your might _even _better, the results!" The girls all held their breath.

"Fuck. I forgot about that." Permy muttered to herself, as she clutched onto Nonoko's arm tightly.

"As you all know, _ten _out of twenty of you—that means _half _of our contestants had their last performance tonight—and it has been very tough for us judges to decide who to put through the Fourth Round, as the standard of performance tonight has been so incredibly high! So, I will now call out the ten contestants who are still _in _and will _proceed _to the Fourth Round. If you are called, it is not necessary to come on stage, I think we all have seen enough of you to remember who you all are!"

Mikan gulped and held her brother's hand. This was it.

"So, congratulations to . . . Mochu, Misaki Harada, Erica Stone, Mikan Sakura—and her dancer!; Hotaru Imai, Sumire Shouda, Bunny Love, Andou Tsubasa, Anna and Nonoko and Crimson Abyss!"

The crowd roared happily—as if they were pleased with the result as the girls breathlessly looked at each other.

"W-We . . . we got in." Mikan stated slowly. Then a smile crossed her face and she shouted, "WE GOT IN!"

"Th-The Fourth Round!" Permy cried, "Oh my _God!"_

Even Hotaru seemed to be thanking the Lord before the girls all started to scream ecstatically. After singing a round of, "We Are The Champion" by Queen, did Mikan turn to her brother and jump into his arms for a hug. "I got in, Ryo, I fucking got in!"

"Well done, midget!"

"Thanks, giant!" Mikan giggled, as she hugged her brother tighter. Seriously, it was weird to think how many emotions she felt that night. At the beginning, she was anxious and scared . . . and now, she couldn't be happier. And somewhere in between there, she had spoken to Natsume . . . about Aoi . . . her eyes suddenly widened, and she looked up to her brother, "Where's Aoi?"

"Aoi!" she heard Anna and Nonoko scream. Mikan whirled her head around, and saw Aoi with Youichi in her arm. "We all got in!" Nonoko announced, as she hugged Aoi, leaving Youichi to awkwardly stand there, with his eyebrows raised.

"I know, I heard!" Aoi laughed, "Congratulations—all of you! I'm so proud!" and giving a hug to Permy, Hotaru, then Mikan and Ryo, she turned back to Youichi, and went by his side again. "Youichi didn't get in . . ."

Mikan gaped, "No way!"

Youichi shrugged, "Fine by me. I hate the crowd."

The girls all laughed and Ryo replied, "I know whatcha mean, dude!"

"Yes, yes, congratulations all of you ten!" Narumi continued, "And now for the genre for the next round . . ." The crowd went silent with anticipation, "shall . . . not be announced tonight!" The crowd all sighed, un-amused. Dear, dear, Narumi. Narumi barked with laughter into the microphone, "Yes I'm a bit of kill-joy, aren't I? Haha, well the genre and the information for the Fourth Round shall be posted on the Music Competition notice board, which is found downstairs in the lobby, by reception, at seven am, for all you early risers! So, now, for _all _of you, have _grrrrrrrrreat _night—be safe!—and have a good lazy Sunday tomorrow! Adieu, till next time!"

A lazy Sunday. That seemed like a _perfect _idea for Mikan. "Let's go back and celebrate!"

"I'll make a cake!" Anna announced, as she bounced up and down on the balls of her feet. My oh my, did she love the idea of cake and sleeping-in tomorrow—tomorrow, a beautiful lazy Sunday.

**0**

**End of Chapter**

**0**

**A/N: **To people who say, "Permy is so selfish!" etc… really? Is Permy selfish? Personally, I would say Mikan's the selfish one!


	21. Detective Work

**Disclaimer: **There are a lot of things in life I don't own. And Alice Gakuen is one of them, although the plot is mine. The music featured in this story also do not belong to me; they respectively belong to the artists. Nor do I owe Wikipedia.

**0**

**My Happy Ending b  
**_**by Little Miss Giggle**_

**0**

**Chapter Eighteen: Detective Work**

**0**

Mikan usually stirs in her sleep before she wakes up. But that Sunday morning, the morning after the Third Round, for some reason, her eyes _snapped _open, and she stood up from bed. And this was very unusual as her friends usually take at least fifteen minutes in trying to wake her up, and today—_bam!_—she was awake. And no one woke up her either. "Huh." Mikan said, as she turned her head to the window. There was no light coming through the curtains—maybe it was still the middle of the night? Her eyes widened—what if it was already _Sunday_ evening? Then she then shook her head, as she chuckled to herself—there was no way it was Sunday evening! There was no way she would have been able to sleep for twenty-four hours straight!

"Stupid me," she smiled to herself, and she turned around to her bedside table, and picked up her phone. But she felt her eyes bulge out of her sockets when she saw the time—it was seven forty five in the _morning. _"Oh my _God _I _am_ up early!" she exclaimed to herself, genuinely surprised. Then a pout came across her face, and she whined, "And it's a Sunday! My lazy day!" She pulled her pillow from underneath her, propped her knees up, and placed the pillow on her knees so she could rest her chin on it.

No wonder it was still so dark out—Winter mornings are really dark . . . she shivered, her room was so cold compared to her snuggly blankets . . . but as much as Mikan wanted to go back to bed, she couldn't bring herself to—she simply wasn't tired anymore, for some bizarre reason.

Instead, she started to play around on her phone, and she managed to stumble onto her SMS Inbox, where she checked her most recent messages from Ryo, which she received last night:

_Mikan, my train to Nagoya leaves at 2 from Tokyo Station. So if you want to have lunch, 12:30 okay?_

Of course she said yes. But Permy was beside Mikan when she got the message, and with a shifty glance of her green eyes, she read the text. Immediately, she gasped, "No way! Lunch with Ryo? Please can I come too?" causing Anna and Nonoko to ask what the commotion was about, and when Permy excitedly answered, _the twins_ then started to beg Mikan profusely for an invite.

So, Mikan added to her text:

_Yeah, okay, sure. 12:30 it is. We'll come to pick you up with a taxi at 12:00 tomorrow from your hotel, and we'll go somewhere to eat. I'm sure Hotaru knows somewhere good to eat. Hope you don't mind that all my friends are coming too :)_

Mikan didn't really mind that her friends were coming—she just prayed to the Lords that they (meaning Permy, Anna and Nonoko) wouldn't be all over him, like they were two nights ago.

Mikan shuddered yet again, before a small smile crept on her face. She still couldn't believe she had got into the Fourth Round, last night. Last night had really had its high and lows; it was true—and though her ending with Natsume wasn't great, the outcome of everything else was fantastic. Even though she made herself convince herself that everything was going to be _fine _even if Natsume had snapped at her last night, she could still hear that little voice of doubt in her head. A voice that continuously chanted, _"After he looked at you like _that_, do you really think he's going to forgive you? You hit a nerve, you did, Mikan Sakura!"_

Was it really that wrong to be curious?

All in the midst of her thinking, a thought—a light bulb thought—popped into her head. Thinking about the Third Round made her recall Narumi say, _". . . the genre and the information for the Fourth Round shall be posted on the Music Competition notice board, which is found downstairs in the lobby, by reception, at seven am, for all you early risers!"_

Seven fifty now—Mikan gasped—the info had been up for fifty minutes already, and she had wasted five minutes just thinking in bed! Quickly, she bounced out of her bed, which she regretted almost immediately when she felt the cold air tingle her skin. Trying to push the thought on how goddamn freezing her room was, she grabbed her cashmere jumper and pulled it over her pajama top. She opened the door to her room, and as expected, no lights were turned on. Mikan, for once, was _indeed _the earliest riser of the dorm this morning. She silently crept to the front door, without forgetting her key, and once she had reached it, she stuffed her feet into a pair of hand-me-down Uggs Anna and Nonoko had given her, and left her dorm room.

In the fear of getting stuck in the elevator again, Mikan went down to the lobby by stairs. Sure it took longer, and made her tired legs ache a bit, but the thought of getting stuck in an elevator on her _own _was more frightful.

And as promised last night by Narumi, a new notice was indeed pinned up on the notice board, to Mikan's sheer excitement.

**The Fourth Round Information**

**Date: **TBC (It is confirmed, however it would be sometime in late April or early May)  
**Time: **7:00—however long it may take (depending when the last act has finished his/her/their performance)

FOR THE FOURTH ROUND, CONTESTANTS MUST WRITE **A SONG ABOUT THE TRUTH. **The judges will not only be marking for quality of song, but they will be checking/hearing out while you perform if your song conveys a truthful message.

_For further enquiries, please contact a member of staff, preferably one of the judges from the Music Competition._

Mikan blinked. And re-read it. Then blinked again.

. . . A song about the truth? What the hell does _that _mean? She thought to herself, while her nose crinkled. Did the Academy literally mean for the constants to write a song about the truth, or was there a _deeper _meaning to the title? Or was she thinking too much now? Mikan sighed, as she shook her head, looking as if she was trying to shake all the thoughts out her head. Mikan sighed again, and made her way back up to the staircase, back to her dorm room.

To be honest, Mikan was disappointed—not only with the genre (if you could call that one), but also with the lack of information. Also the fact that it was _ages _away made her feel a bit disgruntled. But then an optimistic smile came across her face; if the Academy really did want to her to write a song about the bloody truth, to be honest, it would be quite easy for her now that she has so many thoughts occupying her mind . . . Permy being one big root of her problem—the tattoo she saw last night accidently really confused Mikan . . . and all her lies that she had told her . . .

Another person who was occupying her mind, for probably seventy-five to eighty percent of the time was Natsume Hyuuga, the boy full of mysteries—his mysterious past with his family, and the fact that he can just go from hot to cold in a matter of seconds. Never in her life had she met someone so complicated . . . but never in her life had she met someone she had such strong attractions to.

Mikan clicked the front door to her dorm room open, and slipped into her dorm before she peered her head in the living room and kitchen. She sighed when she realized all of her friends were still soundly asleep in bed. She couldn't blame them, really. After all, it was eight o'clock on a Sunday morning . . . what kind of sane person wakes up at that time anyway?

Mikan hummed to herself as she sunk into the squishy couch, and sighed in relief when she nuzzled her face onto one of the extra fluffy cushion. She was feeling rather peckish, but she wasn't going to even _try _to make herself something because she knew it would only result in disaster. Then, her hazel eyes caught Hotaru's laptop, a MacBook, which was gleaming on the coffee table.

Mikan's eyes immediately widened. "Maybe I could kill time on MiniClips . . ." she muttered to herself, as she slid down from the couch, onto the floor, so she could open the Mac screen. Mikan didn't feel guilty about using it; no, how could she when she paid Hotaru 3655Yen (around twenty five British pounds, which according to the Internet is about 40 USD) to have an account on the goddamn thing? And to think they're best friends!

After logging onto her account, Mikan quickly checked her emails—deleted all the spams, and wrote an email to her parents about Ryo and the successful Third Round—before she clicked onto Safari. She played on Club Penguin for around ten minutes before she felt boredom eat her—the concept of Club Penguin wasn't as interesting to her as it had been fours years ago; she could now admit that four years ago she was a Club Penguin junkie.

Mikan groaned, and looked behind her to the corridors of bedrooms, praying that someone would wake up and come out, so her boredom could disappear. Preferably Anna, because not only was she fun but also she could cook her some breakfast—French toast sounded good! "Or maybe Aoi's awake . . ." Mikan mumbled to herself, "maybe I could text her to come over . . ." but then she snorted, "but why the _hell _would she be awake at eight ten in the morning? Jesus, Mikan!"

Aoi, sadly wasn't one of their roommates, but she was practically here all the time, the five girls considered her as one of them roomies. It felt weird to Mikan to think she wasn't _actually _a permanent member of their room, but from time to time, especially when it was close to the night of the competition rounds, she would come sleepover at their room, getting permission from Miss Serina.

Her thoughts on Aoi influenced Mikan's next trail of thought: the Hyuuga secret—well, if you could call it that. The Hyuuga secret, the suspicious secret Mikan had a strange urge to figure out, the secret that she was trying to unlock, the secret which probably had the answers to why Aoi and Natsume were now no longer close . . . And then, before Mikan knew it, she was opening a new tab on the Internet, and her fingers typed in at the top: .org.

It was as if her fingers had a mind of its own—she was confused _why _she was staring at the Wikipedia page for a few seconds, but then the answer came to her, when in the search bar, she automatically typed in: _Crimson Abyss_, only to click the enter bar afterwards. Quite honestly, she was surprised to know that Crimson Abyss had a Wikipedia page—a _proper _Wikipedia page, with the title, the brief introductions, and the sub-headings (Band history, Musical Style, Band Members, Personal Lives, Future Plans, Fan Club, Up-to-date Singles) . . .

**Crimson Abyss  
**_From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia_

**Crimson Abyss **is a Japanese rock band from Tokyo, Japan. The band formed in Sapporo when the band mates were fourteen (in 2004), although unofficially. Their contract was signed the following year, 2005, by Serio Record's . . .

(Mikan skimmed read the first few lines about the bands summary, before his name caught her eyes . . .)

**Band History**

Current band manager is Tobita Yuu, and the band mates include Natsume Hyuuga, Ruka Nogi, Kokoro Yome and Kitsune Me. All four of the band mates were childhood friends, and according to Kokoro Yome in their first interview when they were all sixteen on _Good Morning Tokyo_, he stated, 'we had form a band for a school project. We would've never known that at our little school performance there would be scouts from _Tokyo_, who were _totally _interested in us! Total shocker, trust.' The scouts, which included Serio Persona, a Japanese Grammy Award-winning record producer, were, "impressed, even shocked by their talent at the mere age of fourteen," according to sources, "especially by band leader Natsume Hyuuga." and almost immediately told their families that each of their children should be send to Japan's famous Music Academy, the Alice Academy.

(Mikan hardly read their section on musical style—she had _heard _them perform three times now, by now, she was sure _what _their musical style was—)

**Band Members**

_Natsume Hyuuga—_vocals, rhythm guitar  
_Ruka Nogi—_drums, percussion, backing vocals  
_Kokoro Yome—_keyboards, samples, rhythmn guitar (depending on Natsume Hyuuga), backing vocals  
_Kitsune Me—_lead guitar, backing vocals

**Personal Lives**

All the members of Crimson Abyss currently attend to the Alice Academy, Japan's top Academy of Music, and are going to be the Class of 2008. Not much is known on them, as their producer, Serio Persona has openly announced to the media, "I want to keep them (Crimson Abyss) locked up secret until a huge performance. After that, they can fly away like birds into the real world of music."

It is known that bandleader Natsume Hyuuga can play a wide range of musical instruments, such as the saxophone, the electric guitar, the piano, the drums and even the cello. "If there were four clones of Natsume Hyuuga's, I'm confident to say that he'll take the world by a storm." Serio Persona is rumored to have said this. Natsume Hyuuga is also to be said to write all the lyrics, sometimes having help from his band mates. "But it's mostly Natsume who does the writing—he's deep. Sometimes Ruka helps 'im. Koko and I can't write lyrics to save our lives—we try, and normally end up writing about lunch." Kitsune Me admitted on _Good Morning Tokyo._

In the only interview they have ever been on, on _Good Morning Tokyo,_ Kitsune-me joked, "My name is weird. It's Kitsune Me. But I call myself Kitsune-me. Because I don't want to be called Mr. Me when I'm older. So I have no surname . . . unfortunately my phone bills don't think so—they are all addressed to Mr. Me!"

Kokoro Yome said rather cheerfully on _Good Morning Tokyo_, "If I wasn't going to be in band, I would have liked to be a fortune teller. Dunno why, but I'm pretty good at all that shizz—it's like, I can _read _people's mind!"

Ruka Nogi is half French and has verified that his blonde hair is genuine, as well as his blue eyes.

The band members are all eighteen years old, Natsume Hyuuga being the youngest, born on November 27th.

Tobita Yuu, Crimson Abyss's band manager has recently tweeted on Twitter, "I am very proud of my new band, Crimson Abyss!" and is also rumored to be 'the best manager ever' to the band.

**Future Plans**

Currently in their last year in the Alice Academy, the band is rumored to go straight into the music industry after graduation.

Crimson Abyss is rumored to perform in the Final/Fifth Round of the Alice Academy Music Competition, as well as rapper Mochu, which is confirmed to on the 30th of June 2008, at the Tokyo Dome Stadium, held by Alice Academy's headmaster, Ted Prince. The winner of the Alice Academy Music Competition is to win a large sum of money, as well as a record deal. This is rumored to be the thing that Serio Persona mentioned as a 'huge performance.'

**Fan Club**

Crimson Abyss, although not widely known yet, has a very large number of fan girls, especially in Tokyo. "They scare me," Ruka Nogi has admitted, "and it scares us a lot to think that they are _so _many fans already right now, but that's only in Tokyo." Their Facebook Fanclub has (as of now, in April 2007) more than 75,000 fans, which is increasing every day.

"I would be surprised if Crimson Abyss's fan club members didn't reach to three million by Summer 08," Serio Persona has said, "not only are the boys talented, but even a man can say that they have the looks."

Natsume Hyuuga is fan nominated to be the "best-looking" out of the four. One of the comments on their fanclub page from a fan states, "How could one _not _like Natsume Hyuuga? Black messy hair, blood red eyes—and that body! I would turn gay if I were a guy and I saw him!" Many seem to agree to this statement; both female and male.

**Up-to-date Singles**

Crimson Abyss have only released two songs, _What I've Done _and _Numb_. Both songs were a huge success, and according to sources, "Serio Persona released these two songs to see what the response of the public would be. If it were success, he would keep them and if not, he was planning to drop the band." _What I've Done _reached Number 26 on the charts, _Numb _only reaching Number 32. Both songs were recorded and released when the band members were fifteen years old, making them the youngest band in fifty-five years to release a song that hit the Top 100 Music Chart.

Crimson Abyss have written many other songs but producer Serio Persona does not want them to release them at all until they are out of school. "We've got so many songs now," Kokoro Yome said on _Good Morning Tokyo_, which was now aired on TV two years ago, in 2006, "and it sucks we can't show them to the world! We've collaborated with artists in the Academy, and we can't wait till we get out of school so we can release all our songs! I swear it'll be like an album full of hundreds of songs!

Videos have been released on Youtube of Crimson Abyss singing songs from the Alice Academy Music Competition—two songs: _Somebody Told Me_ and_ Don't Trust Me_, and both videos became huge hits on Youtube, the total view being over a million. But as of late-January 2008, all videos on their First and Second Round performances of Crimson Abyss has been deleted as Serio Persona had been reported to be "furious" about this leak at the beginning of the year, and declared, "What happens in the Academy _stays _in the Academy. I do not want my band to be released on the Internet. Fans will just simply have to _wait. _I assure all their songs from this Competition will be properly released but in _due time. _In the mean time, if they (the fans) are that desperate to see them, can just replay the video of them performing _What I've Done _and _Numb _on repeat. I have _approved _for both these videos to be released."

The videos for _What I've Done _and _Numb _all together has a view of 16 million views, as of April 2007.

. . .

Mikan, was, well, in total shock after she had finished reading their Wikipedia page. She was surprised on how _little _she knew about Natsume's band, and she was also shocked that Serio Persona, _the _Serio Persona, was their producer! People in Nagoya even knew who Serio Persona was, even her out-of-date elderly neighbours knew _him_—him, rumored to be a complete and utter slave-driver, Serio Persona is a multi-millionaire—_billionaire _perhaps, producer!

Well, to be honest, why would she have known that? Now she thought about it, her and Natsume never did talk about music, to be honest. Maybe she might have said some things about _herself, _but she was sure Natsume had never really mentioned what was going on in his musical life. She felt her heart sink a bit—now she thought about it; she didn't really know Natsume's personal life. Slowly, slowly she was confident to say (before last night) she was gradually starting to understand him, but this newfound news told her in fact that she knew practically _nothing_ about his personal life, which made her feel like a crap friend. I mean, for crying out loud she had to go to Crimson Abyss' goddamn _Wikipedia _page to get some information!

Was she not only being selfish to her girl friends but _also _to Natsume?

Now that question rang in her mind, like a broken CD player on repeat—her mind just wouldn't shut up. Was she, Mikan, genuinely a selfish person? Mikan bit her lip in thought, but then put it to the back of her mind, and opened yet another new tab. Once it had loaded, she typed in, _What I've Done, Crimson Abyss _and clicked the Search button, and clicked the first video that came up.

She turned the volume down, as the video loaded for a bit, just in case it made a loud noise—and now, unlike a few minutes ago, she didn't want her friends to find her watching a Crimson Abyss video. Now she thought about it, it was her first time listening to this song, let alone see Crimson Abyss perform it.

It started. Very softly—it was just the piano playing, and then video finally un-blurred, and there, she saw Koko on screen—she commented, "Oh my _God _he looks so young!" to herself as she saw him in the video—playing innocently on the piano, with a bit of a nervous smile on his face. And then, with his other hand, he started to play a few rather sinister sounding chords all while the video zoomed out, to show that he was performing on some sort of stage, with all the other band members present, although you couldn't really see them yet, you could see their shadows. And then the beat of the drum came—now shifting the camera to Ruka Nogi, who Mikan also added looked _extremely _young compared to now. He had his lips pressed together, as if he were nervous he was going to screw it all up—but his playing, unlike his unsure look was sharp and completely on time. And Mikan couldn't help lightly laugh when the guitar started to loudly blare—Kitsune-me, looked pale as a sheet but he still managed to rock on his electric guitar, changing the dynamics and mood of the song completely—Ruka was now _pelting _the drums, with a bit of a pout on his face, while Koko was not playing so innocently anymore—that cheeky grin she had seen was resurfacing on his face, clearly showing that he was now enjoying his performance, unlike before. Then the noise level of the instruments dropped, and finally a voice started to sing; Mikan felt tingles down her back, and felt goose bumps erupt on her skin—even more when she actually _saw _his face on the video.

Like the others, Natsume surely did look like younger—he looked at least a 15centimetres shorter, and his voice, she noticed, wasn't as husky as it was now. But there was a look on his face, a look that only he possessed out of his four band mates—Natsume looked angry, upset when he sang . . . and hurt. _Just like last night _. . . Mikan thought as she pressed her lips together, and listened closely to the lyrics . . .

_In this farewell  
There's no blood  
There's no alibi  
'Cause I've drawn regret  
From the truth  
Of a thousand lies_

_So let mercy come  
And wash away  
What I've done_

_I'll face myself  
To cross out what I've become _

_Erase myself And let go of what I've done_

_Put to rest  
What you thought of me  
While I clean this slate  
With the hands of uncertainty_

_So let mercy come  
And wash away  
What I've done_

_I'll face myself  
To cross out what I've become  
Erase myself  
And let go of what I've done_

_For what I've done  
I start again  
And whatever pain may come  
Today this ends_

_I'm forgiving what I've done!_

_I'll face myself  
To cross out what I've become_

_Erase myself  
And let go of what I've done_

_What I've done_

_Forgiving what I've done_

Mikan was indeed impressed. Who couldn't be—she was fifteen a year ago, and she could never _imagine _doing this last year—and there Natsume was; fifteen; his talent evidently there. His voice was incredible, nobody could deny that—

But his lyrics. Mikan knew from her own sources (and Wikipedia) that Natsume writes his own lyrics and music. So, if indeed Natsume _did _write those lyrics for the song _What I've Done _. . . Mikan shuddered and bit her lip. Quickly, she opened another tab and typed in the search bar: What I've Done Crimson Abyss AZlyrics. Immediately she got a link, and when she clicked on it, she re-read the whole song.

Natsume, she came to the conclusion after she finished reading it, did something in the past. _What_, she wasn't sure, but she _was _sure that _this _song was about his mysterious secret—the secret that she and Hotaru had dubbed as the Hyuuga secret. Mikan was sure of it; she had no doubt about it. And whatever he did, Natsume was clearly regretting it—the sorrow, regretful tone in the song told it all. But at the same time, the song conveyed the message that he was planning to _forget _about the whole thing, even 'erase' himself . . . is the Hyuuga secret the reason _why _Natsume changed himself completely? To 'erase' himself in order to 'let go' what he did?

Mikan felt like she was analyzing Shakespeare doing this. She had never felt so curious and detective-like in her life, and to be honest, although it was frustrating not knowing, it was also rather addictive—she felt as if she would stop at nothing to patch all the clues together.

_Numb. Numb! _Mikan excitedly thought to herself, as she switched her tab back to the Youtube one. Quickly, in the search engine, she typed in, 'Numb Crimson Abyss.' She clicked the video and brought her knees to her chin as she now watched the video of _Numb_. Again, she astounded with awe by Natsume's talent—he was _fifteen _and to think he could perform like this—_with his goddamn eyes closed sometimes too_, especially when he was scream-singing and hell he could hold his notes for so long too! Longer than _her _for sure.

The video for _Numb _was simply Crimson Abyss performing and the boys looked like they did in their video for _What I've Done_, Ruka looking rather nervous; Kitsune-me looking _totally _nervous, he looked like he might crap; Koko looking shy at first, but after 30seconds, he starts to accelerate in confidence; and lastly Natsume, looking angry and hurt in this video as well.

Thankfully, the lyrics of _Numb _was in the information box on the left, and after clicking, more info, she read the lyrics while she sometimes glanced at the video itself when Natsume's face appeared on screen.

_I'm tired of being what you want me to be  
Feeling so faithless lost under the surface  
Don't know what you're expecting of me  
Put under the pressure of walking in your shoes  
(Caught in the undertow just caught in the undertow)  
Every step that I take is another mistake to you  
(Caught in the undertow just caught in the undertow)_

_I've become so numb I can't feel you there  
Become so tired so much more aware  
I'm becoming this all I want to do  
Is be more like me and be less like you_

_Can't you see that you're smothering me  
Holding too tightly afraid to lose control  
Cause everything that you thought I would be  
Has fallen apart right in front of you  
(Caught in the undertow just caught in the undertow)  
Every step that I take is another mistake to you  
(Caught in the undertow just caught in the undertow)  
And every second I waste is more than I can take_

_I've become so numb I can't feel you there  
Become so tired so much more aware  
I'm becoming this all I want to do  
Is be more like me and be less like you_

_And I know  
I may end up failing too  
But I know  
You were just like me with someone disappointed in you_

_I've become so numb I can't feel you there  
Become so tired so much more aware  
I'm becoming this all I want to do  
Is be more like me and be less like you_

_I've become so numb I can't feel you there  
I'm tired of being what you want me to be  
I've become so numb I can't feel you there  
I'm tired of being what you want me to be_

This song was easy to analyze—even for Mikan. Someone, she came to the conclusion, was pressurizing Natsume to be like him or her, and saw Natsume as a bit of disappointment. Mikan thinned her lips and narrowed her eyes in thought: _Who was this '_you_' mentioned in the song? Who was Natsume writing about?_

Suddenly, Mikan's eyes widened when she recalled yet another memory from last night. Flashbacks of her talking to Aoi flashed in her mind, and then, she clearly remembered Aoi telling her something, and Aoi's sweet voice echoed in her head: _"N-Natsume never got along with my—our dad . . . and he just had enough, and needed to getaway . . ."_

"It was the dad," Mikan blurted out to herself, in sudden realization before she dramatically gasped. Then she blinked pounded a fist into the air victoriously as she exclaimed, "Fuck, I'm good! I should be recruited to the freakin' CSI!" but then she thought more seriously as she put all the pieces of the puzzle together—she opened a Word Doc on the laptop, and started to type . . .

:-;-:

**The Secret**

Natsume had done something in the past, which basically changed his life. And it all happened on _one _night, according to Aoi. He totally regrets it, but instead of letting it go he decides to change himself in order to forget it. Aoi ALSO said he never used to be a bastard play-boy, but even since he came to Tokyo he changed. MAYBE HE CHANGED TO TRY TO 'ERASE' HIMSELF? Dun dun DUUUN.

Natsume's dad pressurized him, and saw him at a disappointment. He wanted his son just to be like him. Bastard.

1 + 2 = Natsume dad pressurized him, and Natsume did something in result? Something BAD? O.o

:-;-:

Mikan stared at the Word Doc in front of her, before she sighed. _This was as far as I would go_, she thought to herself, as she saved the word document to her Document's files. There wasn't any more clues left to analyze—. . . unless she had forgotten something. She sighed again in defeat, and logged out of her account, and closed the laptop.

Fine, she might have figured out _something _about Natsume, but she still hadn't figured out the _main _question—_what_ had happened that night? And—

"Oh my dear _Lord _you are up early!"

Mikan jumped in surprise at the voice, she even _squeaked_ as she whirled her head around, only to sigh in relief. "You scared me, Anna!"

"No babe, _you _scared _me!_" Anna laughed. "What are you—Mikan Sakura—doing up so early? It's nine o'clock, girl! Did you have a nightmare or something? Is your clock wrong—"

Mikan shook her head, "I just . . . woke up."

Anna narrowed her eyes before she commented, "That's weird. I mean, you never just wake up like," she snapped her fingers, "_that!_"

"I know, right?" Mikan agreed, as she nodded. That's when it hit her that Anna—the chef of the dorm Anna—was standing in front of her. Mikan's hazel eyes widened and she cried, "Anna!"

"W-What?" Anna asked, mildly surprised by Mikan's outburst.

"It's _you!"_

Anna blinked her big blue eyes before she laughed nervously, "Yeah, it _is _me—"

"No, no!" Mikan shook her head, as she stood up from the couch and made her way to her; Mikan grabbed her hands, and held onto them as she exclaimed, "It's you, Anna, _you! _You can make me some breakfast!" And _right _on cue, Mikan's stomach gave a low thunder-like rumble.

Anna threw her head back and laughed out loud before she questioned, "How _long _have you been up for Mikan?"

"Too long!" Mikan replied with a pout on her face, "And I would _love _some maple syrup on my French Toast, please!" Anna tittered with laughter, as she slipped her hand away from Mikan and made her way to the kitchen, while answering, "French Toast it is, then!"

Isn't it incredible how food can take your mind off things? That's probably why big girls are happier than little lollipop girls who are dying to look good.

**0**

**End of Chapter Eighteen**

**0**


	22. Some Secrets Are Better Unknown

**Disclaimer:** I OFFICIALLY DISCLAIM ALL OF MY CHAPTERS FOR THIS STORY!

**0**

**My Happy Ending  
**_**by Little Miss Giggle**_

**0**

**Chapter Nineteen: Some Secrets Are Better Unknown**

**0**

_I don't need no superman, with special powers and a fake tan,  
to try and save the day for me.  
Why can't he just let me be?_

**0**

"Ryo, are you _sure _you can't stay for longer?" Permy asked again for the (estimated) a hundredth time, as she batted her long eyes lashes, a cute girlish pout evident on her face. "Come on, one more week? Pretty please?"

"Yeah!" the twins chorused, nodding quickly, "One more week?"

Mikan groaned and Hotaru silently snickered as they watched their friends lean in closer to Ryo, all with a cutesy putesy puppy dog on their face. Mikan decided to concentrate on her lunch; chicken katsu curry; instead of watching this overplayed scene. She spooned a heapful of rice drenched with curry into her mouth, savouring the marvelous taste of Japanese food. The group were currently at Denny's—a simple Japanese version of Wendy's—eating lunch animatedly. It was already one, and Ryo's train was scheduled to leave in an hour's time back to Nagoya. Hotaru sipped her green tea, as she watched carefully from the rim of her cup at Ryo, anticipating his reaction and answer.

"I'm flattered, girls," Ryo answered with a crooked smile on his face, his butterscotch eyes now flickering through the three girls, "but I just didn't bring enough money for that. Tokyo is so expensive compared to Nagoya as well! And," he shifted his gaze to an unimpressed looking Hotaru and a rather disgusted looking Mikan, to continue, "I don't think my sister and her best friend would appreciate it if I did."

Mikan scoffed, and after she finished taking her sip of water, she murmured a simple 'mmhmm'. "Sorry Ryo, you're presence is unwelcome by us."

"You're so harsh, Mikan!" Permy whined, with a tone of amusement evident in her voice. Mikan weakly smiled back at her, but her hazel eyes told a different story. She was still feeling a bit off about Permy—the whole thing about her tattoo and her 'hatred' towards Natsume being the cause of it. Honestly, Mikan couldn't wait to tell Hotaru about everything. Everything she found out this morning on Wikipedia and about her theories . . . about the Hyuuga Secret.

Mikan frowned, and took a sip of her water. God, the way she thought about it made it seem like an Earth-shattering secret but in fact, it _could _just be something easy and uncomplicated . . . but she doubted that. Breakfast seemed like years ago now—at breakfast, when everybody was up, Mikan announced to her friends (minus Aoi—she was busy today with her own roommates.) that she went downstairs earlier that morning and knew what the Fourth Round 'genre' was.

"A song about the _truth?_" Permy double-checked that morning, a coffee in her hand and her nose crinkled. "That's not even a genre! That's like . . . weird."

"You sure that's what it said, Mikan?" teased Hotaru, with a bland expression on her face, yet a sparkle in her amethyst eyes.

"Yeah!" Mikan nodded, "A hundred percent!"

They also all decided then that they would write their music starting next week all together so they'd feel motivated to actually do it. Even though the noticeboard said the Fourth Round would be somewhere in April or May and they were still in February, there was no harm in starting early, no?

"When will you be back?" Anna questioned Ryo, her big blue eyes gazing at his face in a rather hungry way.

"Well definitely back for the Fifth Round with our parents. So I'm guessing about June?" Ryo replied, with a boyish shrug. "I'm not too sure."

"Well, gimme your number!" Permy cried, as she fumbled her mobile out of her little clutch bag, "_That _way I can talk to you—hey do you have Twitter? Myspace? Facebook?" she added with her cocked to the side, in a questioning manner.

"Yeah Facebook—"

"Fab! Is it Ryo Sakura or you got a middle name, hmm? Oh and here's my number—" Permy paused as she quickly scribbled down her number with a black biro on a Denny's napkin. Satisfied with the three 'x's she put at the end, she was about to hand it over to Ryo, when both Anna and Nonoko grabbed for it; thus ripping the napkin in half.

"Anna! Nonoko!" Permy shrieked, her green eyes flying open. Mikan hid her face in her hands; mortified. Everybody around them was curiously now peering at their table, intrigued. "What was _that _for?"

"Well I was just trying to get it so I could put _my _number on, when Nonoko over here," Anna threw her twin an icy glare, "snatched it, so I yanked it—"

"Hold it sister!" Nonoko interrupted, holding her hand up to stop her talking. "I held it _first! You're _the one who snatched it with your crabby hands—"

"Crabby hands?" Anna repeated furiously. "_Crabby hands?"_

"Guys . . ." Mikan said, trying to stop the twins fighting . . . over her _brother. _

"Oh shut up!" Permy barked at the times, her eyes narrowed. "If anything, it was _both _your fault because now I have to write my number again!" Permy huffed before she looked over at a grinning Ryo and asked, "So it's Ryo Sakura on Facebook, right?" When he nodded, she replied, "Super! I'll add you: Sumire Princess Shouda! And—"

"_Our _fault?" Anna and Nonoko demanded in sync. "How is _this _our fault?"

Hotaru at this point excused herself to the restrooms, murmuring to Mikan she had a headache. Mikan, on the other hand, glared at her brother in a do-something-you-moron, sort of way, but all she got in response was a boyish grin. And that's when she realized he was actually enjoying this—enjoying seeing three beautiful girls fight over him.

Mikan groaned. "Kill me now."

**0**

After a rather . . . _tearful _goodbye at the end of Lunch, Anna, Nonoko and Permy all decided they'd take a taxi back to the Academy while Mikan and Hotaru planned to take Ryo to Tokyo Station, so he could take the bullet train back to Nagoya. It was no surprise that when Mikan, Hotaru and Ryo were in the taxi, heading towards the Station, Ryo's mobile started to buzz . . . he checked his phone, with both Mikan and Hotaru peering over to see the three new messages . . .

Mikan growled, "For flipssake!" whilst Hotaru sneered, in what sounded like amusement. But who knows—it was also hard to tell with her.

"Those girls sure love me." Ryo chuckled, as he started to text back to all three of them: Permy, Anna and Nonoko.

Mikan scoffed, "Don't flatter yourself!"

**0**

"_Train 4J8YK-88YH, to Nagoya . . . Train 4J8YK-88YH, to Nagoya boarding now on Platform 5 . . . Train 4J8YK-88YH . . ."_

Mikan watched her older brother take a last few sips of his can coffee, and throw it in the bin before he turned to her and Hotaru. "Well that's my call, brat." Mikan rolled her eyes in a childish manner, before she stood up from the plastic chairs on the platform, and made her way towards her brother. She hugged him tightly as she said, "Tell mummy and daddy I say hi, okay? And that I'll try get you guys tickets for the Fifth Round, no matter how expensive, okay?"

"Alright, alright . . ." he looked down at Mikan when he heard a rather feeble sniff. "Not crying, are we? Missing me already?"

Mikan punched his torso, going, "Har-di-har-di-dah, Ryo . . . but yeah, I will miss you. I guess it's been nice, huh? Come back soon, okay?"

Ryo blew out a fake sigh, "Well, I guess I'll have to, now that I've promised five girls—" he glanced at Hotaru, who had her arms crossed and her eyebrows raised, "—oops. I mean, four girls."

"Goodbye Ryo." Hotaru blandly said. "Tell Mrs and Mr Sakura I say hello. And give my best to my parents, too."

Ryo saluted Hotaru, (causing her to twitch a bit in disgust) before he picked up his hand luggage, and walked over to the edge of the platform, onto the train. He turned to face the train doors, waving. "Hey, Mikan—keep me updated on you-know-who, alright? . . . And tell you friends soon."

"I know, I know! I will!" Mikan promised, and she started to wave frantically, now that the train doors were sliding shut. It a took a while for the bullet train to start moving, but when it did, Mikan ran beside it, waving at her brother, causing the little children from inside the bullet train to point and giggle at her. And soon, the train was going too fast, and too far . . . Mikan stopped running, and watched the train roll past her. Before it turned the corner, she didn't forget to blow a kiss after it.

"I've never seen you run so fast, Mikan."

Mikan turned around to see her best friend, with a rather amused expression on her face. "Do I really look that weird when I run?"

Hotaru nodded, before she lightly started to laugh. "Rather like a waddling duck."

Mikan started to laugh and she made her way towards her best friend. She lazily threw an arm around Hotaru's neck, as Hotaru (strangely for Hotaru) put her arm around Mikan's torso. "I love you, Hotaru!" she exclaimed. "Hey wanna get something sweet to eat?" When Hotaru nodded, Mikan continued, "Oh yeah, I have to tell you something too, Hotaru . . ."

Meanwhile, on the train, Ryo was walking down the train aisle, looking for his seat, when a little girl and a little boy stopped his way. "Sorry Mister, but my sister was wondering—" the little boy managed to say, before the girl starting to bounce up and down and excitedly ask, "Was that pretty girl running after the train your girlfriend?"

Ryo blinked before he started to laugh. The little girl, he could tell, was just like a young Mikan—a girl who lived on DreamWorld, and dreamt about meeting her Prince Charming and enjoyed to play 'I do'. The two little children looked up at him, rather confused, and that's when Ryo crouched down to eye-level with the two of them. "No, she's not my girlfriend." The little girl's face saddened. "She's something even _better._" The girl's face immediately brightened, sparkles now dancing her eyes. "She was my little sister." Ryo answered.

". . . Like me?"

Ryo nodded. "You would never actually be able to know how much your older brother loves you, you know. He winked at the little girl, causing her to blush cutely. "Don't forget that, eh?" With that Ryo stood up, and walked past them, only to hear the little girl squeal, "Dai-oniichan loves me!" behind him, and an embarrassed muffled, "Shut up!" to be followed straight after.

Siblings. You gotto love 'em.

**0**

As both Mikan and Hotaru ate their cakes, Mikan explained to her best friend, as she silently and carefully listened to Mikan, about the following:

One: She had told—no, more like Ryo had found out about her and Natsume's secret friendship.

Two: Permy's tattoo, and how she wasn't sure on what to think of it.

Three: Her theories on the Hyuuga secret (how Natsume's father pressured Natsume, and Natsume resulted in doing something really bad . . . and that 'something really bad' _was _the Hyuuga secret.)

Four: How Ryo told her it was best to come clean to her friends, which she totally agreed on, and planned to do so herself as soon as possible . . .

Five: And finally what happened between her and Natsume. On how as soon as she mentioned 'that night in Sapporo'.

Hotaru nodded slowly, as she sipped her tea. Mikan watched Hotaru carefully, trying to pick up on any hints on what she was thinking, but alas, Hotaru's bland expression wasn't famous for nothing!

"So that's all. And I don't know how I should apologize to Natsume, because I obviously touched a danger zone and—"

"Mikan." Mikan immediately stopped talking and looked at her best friend. "I don't think you should. I don't think you should see Hyuuga anymore, even as friends."

Of all the possibilities in the world, not once did Mikan think that Hotaru's reaction would be that. "What? Why?"

Hotaru sighed, "He may be making you happy but do you _really _want to be sneaking off with him behind your friends back all the time?"

"I told you, I'm going to tell them—"

"When? Today?"

"N-No, not today . . ." Mikan saw Hotaru's 'see?-I-told-you-so' face plastered on, so she quickly continued, "Not today but soon—"

"Mikan this lie is going to go way out of hand. A lie is like a snowball running down a hill. Once you lie, you have to keep adding lies to that, to make your original like still sound valid. But the hill is always downhill. One day, it's all going to crash and fall to pieces."

"Fall to pieces?" Mikan repeated, a rather fragile look on her face. "But . . . I don't want that. I don't want to fall to pieces—"

"You will. If you don't stop this soon."

Mikan blinked. Suddenly, she felt a rush of frustration, and she put her elbows on the table, and clutched her hair. "It's not my fault that Permy had a huge fall-out with Natsume! If it weren't for her, yeah, he still would be the big bad wolf, but at least I still would be able to be friends with him without getting my head chopped off! And—and, judging from that tattoo, I bet she still wants him—"

"She does _not _Mikan." Hotaru interrupted her, rather both fiercely and bluntly. "You and I _both _know she _hates _his guts. And what about Aoi?"

Mikan paused, and looked at her lap before she replied, "She . . . she still loves him, I know it Hotaru. Aoi still loves her brother—that's why she keeps tearing up! I'll bet she wants to make amends with him!"

Hotaru sighed, and plonked another sugar cube into her ginger tea. "Do what you want, Mikan. But don't say I didn't warn you." She stirred her tea and took a long sip of it. "I sometimes forget how stubborn you are . . ." Mikan weakly laughed, before she cut her cake, to take a bite before Hotaru seriously added, "But just know Mikan I have a really really bad feeling about this."

Mikan paused once again, and looked up at Hotaru, biting her lips. Scorpio. Hotaru Imai was a Scorpio. Scorpio's are said to have a sixth sense of some sort; they are said to be able to read people easier than other's but people find it hard to read them. They're like a police mirror—they can see you, but you can't see them. Not only that, their predictions tends to be spot on. They have an intuitive nature . . . and whenever Hotaru predicts something, it usually ends up true.

That's what scared Mikan the most. The fact that now she knew something was going to happen but even so, it was a risk she was willing to take. And that scared her. "I will be careful."

Hotaru nodded. "Either way, I'll always be here."

Mikan smiled affectionately, "Thanks Hotaru."

"And now to your theories . . . I actually found something out myself."

Mikan eye's widened, "You mean about the Secret?"

Hotaru grimly nodded before she put her teacup down, and gazed her amethyst eyes into Mikan's curious hazel eyes. "Apparently three years ago on the 27th of November, the Hyuuga Residence was a sea of flames."

"Wha—"

"A fire. It practically burnt down their whole house . . . and Aoi was stuck in the house at one point. Don't worry—she was alright. Treated for shock and minor burns on her back."

Mikan's eyes widened yet again as a flashback flooded her mind . . .

**:':**

**Flashback**

"Hey Natsume, when's your birthday?" Mikan asked as she pulled the hood of Natsume's jumper down on her face to conceal it. The two were currently in a café, having lunch . . . having one of their secret meetings, thus the reason for why Mikan is trying to cover her face.

Natsume smirked, "Secret."

Mikan pouted, as he put one of her elbow on the table, and leaned her cheek on it. "I _know _it's in November somewhere. Come on, tell me the date! You know when _my _birthday is!"

"It's rude to ask a woman about her age, so why shouldn't that be the same for a man? Not sexist are we, Polka?" he questioned, his voice serious, yet it was obvious to Mikan he was teasing her—he could tell by the way his eyes dances around.

"I wasn't _asking _for you age, dumbass! I was _asking _for the date of your birthd—"

"27th."

". . . Huh?"

"27th – of – November." Natsume said in a slow, patronizing tone, his lip curling. "Dumbass." He added with yet another infuriating smirk on his face.

**End of Flashback**

**:':**

"27th of November!" Mikan cried, "Th-That's Natsume's _birthday!_" Mikan was genuinely shocked, for a moment she couldn't function. "Bu-But that means that the fire . . . was on his birthday?"

Hotaru nodded. "And you said he blamed himself for something. Maybe it's the fire? Maybe he felt responsible."

"You think the Hyuuga Secret might have something to do with his birthday and this fire . . . that nearly killed Aoi?" Mikan asked, her voice rather high and squeaky, like a mouse.

"Precisely."

Mikan didn't realize the goosebumps erupting on her skin, and that she was shaking. _Shaking. _". . . Where did you find this all out?"

"I first found an article on the Internet." Hotaru explained, "And then I clocked it when it said Hyuuga and Sapporo. I know there must be many Hyuuga's in Sapporo, so then I hacked onto the Police Network—"

"_WHAT."_

"and forwarded to the Fire files in Sapporo, and in the nick of time, before I was caught, I managed to confirm that information. It was indeed _that_ Hyuuga family's house that was burnt down. In Sapporo, three years ago, on the 27th of November."

"What was the cause of fire? It must have said, no?"

Hotaru pressed her lips together before she answered, "I checked two other random fire file after I checked theirs. On these random files, it stated, just like the Hyuuga's: the date, the location, and the casualties. But these ones also both included the _cause _of fire. In the Hyuuga's file, it didn't."

"What?"

"I know it's odd. It just said: N/A."

"How is that possible?"

"I don't know. I have two options though, which may be completely wrong, but I'll share them anyway. Either the Hyuuga family is richer than my family and can afford to pay to keep these information confidential or they have an incredible lawyer. Or maybe both."

"Money? Lawyer?"

"Mmhm. I'm assuming either one or the other, or both convinced the jury not to report the full case. Think about it Mikan—Natsume Hyuuga. I only think a handful of people _know _about that on his fifteenth birthday, there was a fire burning down his house that nearly killed his sister. There's not a whisper of it on the Internet or anything. _Someone _wanted didn't want the world to know about this. A secrecy was most likely involved in it too."

"Secrecy?"

"The action of keeping something secret. There were probably a lot of paperwork for it all to be finalized . . . but those are only my theories. Who knows, I may be barking up the wrong tree. Simply, it might have said N/A on the report because they actually couldn't _find _slash didn't _know _the cause of fire. But when I think of it, the Hyuuga File was much more protected than the other two. So I don't think it's that simple."

Sure. Sure Mikan expected the secret to be big. After all, Aoi and her brother hardly speak because of it, it seems like. But Mikan never imagined _this. _If Hotaru theories were correct (they sounded valid to her at least) that means the Hyuuga's have a lot of secrets swirling in their family. She never imagined it could be to do with somebody's—Aoi's life.

_Do I really want to find about the real truth now? . . ._

**0**

**End of Chapter Nineteen**

**0**


	23. Apology

**Disclaimer:** FART BUBBLE. Bet I gotcha there! : )

**0**

**My Happy Ending  
**_**by Little Miss Giggle**_

**0**

**Chapter Twenty: Apology**

**0**

_I don't need no superman, with special powers and a fake tan,  
to try and save the day for me.  
Why can't he just let me be?_

**0**

**. 0 . 0 . 0 .  
…**

"Natsume-onii-chan!" a twelve-year-old girl called, as she ran into the living room, frantic to find her older brother. She sighed when she realised the person she was looking for was not there, and turned on the balls of her heels. "Where are you? Mummy says it's nearly dinner!" she continued, as she started to make her way up the stairs, up to his room.

Her mouth curved up into a smile as she was about to enter his room—from inside his room, she could hear the strumming of a guitar. Really, her brother loved his guitar far too much! She clicked open the door, as she called, "Natsume-onii—chan!"

Immediately, Natsume who was lazily lounged on his bed, along with his guitar, stopped playing, and looked and looked at his younger sister with his eyebrows raised, "Knock will you? Or announce yourself, Aoi."

Aoi giggled, before she bounced on the foot of Natsume's bed, "It's just me, so who cares!"

"Yeah, but if it were Dad . . ." Natsume darkly responded, as he put his guitar down on its stand, by the side of his bed. "What do you want, Aoi?"

Aoi's sparkling red eyes blinked, before she answered, "Oh, mummy says it's dinner soon! . . . And that daddy's coming home soon."

"Hn . . . thanks for the warning."

Aoi gently smiled, "It's no biggie. After all, us three know how ballistic dad goes when he sees you play music. I don't get why though—personally, I'm not much of a musician, but I think it sounds beautiful, especially when it's _my_ onii-chan playing it!"

Natsume scoffed, "You better have not told more of your sissy friends about my music." Before he poked her back with his foot.

"Euugh, feet!" Aoi rolled her tongue out in disgust, glaring at his foot, before she grinned at Natsume and said, "I did! I told Risa and Maki all about you! And they really want to hear you play! And I told them that you were _my _onii-chan, and you were going to be famous and _I'm _going to be your personal assistant, who manages all your appointments, and—"

"Aoi, seriously, we're not going to become famous."

"Yeah you are, onii-chan! You're just being modest—those scouts said that they were really interested in you, and wanted to see you play! Are you going to write a song, or are you going to do a cover? I heard you and Ru-chan talk—you said that if the scouts really do scout you, you'll have a full scholarship to the Alice Academy in Tokyo? Does that mean bye bye Sapporo for you?"

Natsume leaned over to his desk, and pulled a stress ball towards his chest, only to fling it to Aoi—at her head. "How much do you eavesdrop, Aoi?"

"Ow, that _hurt!_"

"Kids!" their mother called, "dinner!"

**. 0 . 0 . 0 .**

Natsume's eyes snapped open. He took in three deep breaths, blinked five times, before he propped his elbow on his pillow, and raised his head. _It was just a dream, _he reassured himself. But it wasn't any ordinary dream. He'd been having these types of dreams lately: dreams of the past. Flashbacks. Ever since the New Year, he'd been getting them, and they were, well, haunting him. Reminding him of things he was trying to forget in vain.

Natsume, sighed, before he clicked his stiff neck, and rubbed his face. He flickered his crimson eyes to his left, and saw on his bedside table, his electrical clock, that read the time and the date, 11:20am, Sunday 15th February. He subconsciously raised his eyebrow when he saw the time—11:20, that was extremely late in Natsume Hyuuga's standard. He was a late-sleeper yet an early riser, this was well known by his friends.

After rolling to try click his neck once more, he stepped out of his bed, and opened his bedroom door. At first, he had to squint—the light outside was so much brighter than his own room it practically blinded him. But then, his crimson eyes got used to it, and he made his way to the kitchen. And surprisingly, he saw _all _his friends there, sitting, eating breakfast.

Apart from Ruka, his friends were extremely heavy-sleepers. In _their _standards, 11:20 would be quite a reasonable, if not an early time to get up. But there they were, Koko and Kitsune-me, wide awake, now waving enthusiastically at them. "Morning Natsume!" Koko chirped, "For once: _you're late!"_

Natsume merely shrugged, and got out a mug from the cupboard—"Coffee's in that pot, Natsume," Ruka helpfully pointed out—and poured himself some coffee before he sat himself down beside Ruka on the dining table.

"Here, Natsume!" Koko called, and Natsume turned to look at him just in time, to catch with his left hand, a waffle.

"Koko!" Ruka scoffed in disgust, "Don't throw waffles!"

"Yeah, remember the ants in _your _room? Do you want that to happen again?" Kitsune-me asked, but with an amused smile on his face.

Koko blew a raspberry before he explained; "Yuu got these waffles for us! Can you believe that—a manager that buys us nosh! Loads as well, for—" he picked up a sticky note that was beside him, before he continued in a squeaky imitation of their manager, Tobita Yuu, "_Congratulations for getting through the Third Round. I hope you enjoy these waffles—these are for you to share. From, Yuu." _He put the sticky note down, and turned back around to Natsume, "So, dig in! We've got _loads." _He smiled, "I like our manager for once."

Kitsune-me snorted, "You'll like anyone—any_thing _that gives you food."

But Natsume didn't touch his waffle—he left it lamely on the table. Natsume simply did nothing but sip his coffee, while his eyes flickered . . . accusingly between his three friends. There was a bit of an awkward silence, as his friends came to realise that something was quite not right, before Natsume asked, "Has anyone gone down to check the notice board?"

"Yeah," Ruka replied, "one of the reasons I got up so goddamn early today. The Fourth Round—date to be confirmed, but the theme for the song is set. For the Fourth Round, we have to write, "A song about the truth.""

Natsume raised his eyebrows.

"He ain't joking—I went to go see it for me own eyes!" Koko laughed. "That's exactly what it said! A song about the truth!" He laughed once more, before he exclaimed, "Don't know why you're looking so "meh" about that, Natsume! It'll be dead easy for us, I mean, come on, _all _our songs are about the truth!"

"Hear hear!" Kitsune-me grinned, before his grin turned to a more of a Cheshire Cat grin, and he asked, "So, Natsume, after the results yesterday, you came straight up, and went straight to your room! You didn't even come celebrate with Tobita and us! Meaning you didn't tell us what happened last night! So, didja manage to do something to Ryo, eh?"

Natsume put his mug, which was now empty down, and bluntly answered, "No."

Ruka raised both his eyebrows, "No?"

When Natsume didn't reply, they all now knew something was definitely up. Sure, Natsume wasn't the most talkative guy in the bunch, but when it came to Mikan Sakura, he would _always _manage to say something.

"Ooooh." Koko winced, "I get it. Don't tell me, she totally preferred him over you?" Without a reply, Koko continued, "God that sucks! I mean, what could this dude have that you don't have? Maybe two dic—"

Before Koko could . . . _fully _finish his sentence (even though I'm sure you get it) Natsume spoke. But his voice was stony. "Did anyone tell _her _about . . . three years ago?"

The room, after his was totally engulfed in silence.

For three seconds.

For seven seconds.

But then Ruka spoke. With a nervous laugh, he said, "M-mate, I thought we agreed after releasing, 'What I've Done' and 'Numb', we would _never _speak about _it _again . . ."

Silence returned for another six seconds, before Natsume's chair skidded on the wooden floor, as he pushed himself out his chair. He stood up, tucked his chair in, before he murmured, "I'm going to have a shower. Then I'm going to go out. I'll see you all later." And with that, he disappeared back into his room, with a slam of the door. It wasn't until the three could hear the noise of the running shower that they started to talk.

Koko tutted, "He didn't even eat the waffle!" he sighed, before he lunged across the table to pick it up, "Oh well, the more for me!" he added, before he scoffed it down.

Ruka looked a bit dazed, and he was biting his lip before he said, "I thought he'd forgotten about the whole thing . . ."

Kitsune-me, also had a look of indifference on his face, and he cupped his face in his hands, while he muttered, "I guess you can't . . . especially if you were Natsume. I mean . . . it was _his _house . . ."

Koko, who had swallowed his waffle, no longer seemed to be smiling; instead, he had a solemn look on his face when he added, "At _his _fifteenth party . . ."

Ruka's blue eyes angrily narrowed before he bit out, "But it wasn't _his _fault!"

"Yeah, we know that. But he probably doesn't." Koko quietly said, as he now looked down at the table, "Man, I'm not in the mood for waffles anymore."

Kitsune-me ignoring Koko's last statement, nodded and asked, "I mean . . . have _you _forgotten about it? Cos I know I haven't. Even if it was three years ago." Koko nodded in agreement, as he pushed the plate of waffles far away from him.

Ruka's mouth slightly twitched before sighed and truthfully answered, "No. Some nights, I do still think about it."

"Exactly. So if _we _still think about it, of course _he _would too." Kitsune-me reasoned out. "But . . . argh, I totally thought about it that time he got stuck in the elevator with her . . . when we went downstairs to the Principal, and when, you know, she—Aoi came . . ."

Koko nodded, before he let out a bottled up breath and stated, "It's sad how they don't talk anymore. I mean, they used to be so close!" he gently smiled, "Remember how jealous she used to get when the girls gave him attention? She was so protective over him!"

"No, remember the time, she and her friends came to us, with a dance, announcing they'd be our back-up dancers?" Ruka asked, with a bit of laughter in his voice.

"Hell yeah!" Kitsune-me chuckled, "I never said, but I thought the dance was _shit!"_

"Same!" Koko and Ruka agreed in unison.

Ruka smiled. "I bet Natsume did too . . . _buuut_, he loved his sister too much to say no, so he let her and her friends dance behind us as we practiced."

Koko chuckled, as he leaned back on his chair. He stretched his arm out, and let his eyes wander around the living room. His brown eyes then fell on a little tube of cream. He blinked before pressed his lips together, leaned back forward and murmured, "Do you think Aoi still has her scars?" His friends both stayed silent, and Koko said, "I mean, Natsume still uses his scar cream—" he inclined his head in the direction of the coffee table, where the little tube of cream innocently sat, "from, you know, when he went back . . ."

"Let's stop talking about this." Ruka firmly said, with a upset look dawned on his face. "We . . . we promised Natsume we would never speak about the past again. Let's not go against our word." They both nodded, and Koko feebly said, "Sorry."

"No, I brought it up, it's my fault." Ruka kindly replied, before he took a sip of his coffee, which, to his displeasure, was now rather cold.

"That talk really makes me get goosebumps . . ." Kitsune-me shivered, "even down _there!" _

Ruka choked on his coffee as Koko started to howl with laughter. "You sick man, Kitsune-me!" After Ruka had coughed, he even started to laugh, while Kitsune-me defended himself by saying, "What? It's _true!_"

"One question though," Koko said, after the laughter had died down, as he looked at Ruka, "how the _hell _does Sakura know about _it?_" Ruka's blue eyes narrowed, but Koko protested, "I know you said to stop—but one more question, mate! And I won't mention _it! _This question's about Sakura!"

Ruka's eyes softened, as he sighed, while weekly shaking his head, "I have no idea."

"Aoi, maybe?" Kitsune-me suggested.

Ruka shook his head, "Aoi would _never _tell anyone about three years ago. Not even her best friends."

Koko furrowed his eyebrows, "Because of the secrecy?"

Ruka shook his head again before he explained, "No. Well, I guess in some way, but I think the main reason she won't tell anyone is in order to save her brother's reputation and she cares for him."

**0**

The radio gently hummed in the taxi, as Hotaru and Mikan sat in the back seat. They were now heading back to the Academy from their little catch up in a café; Mikan had her head on Hotaru's shoulder, as her hazel eyes gazed out of the window while Hotaru simply looked straight ahead of her, rather absent-mindedly. Mikan was feeling rather tired—"I think," she yawned, "it's finally catching up on me. You know how I woke up abnormally early today? Finally catching up." She rather babyishly rubbed her eyes, and continued to look outside the window before she lightly groaned. "Tokyo is so polluted, isn't it? It's so dead!"

"You haven't been to Paris." Hotaru murmured. "For asthmatics—it's hell."

Mikan sighed, "How can Paris be one of the most romantic cites in the world if it's covered with dirty smoke? It doesn't make sense. Countryside's are much more beautiful than _this_." She replied, glaring outside the window. But then her eyes widened, she sat up, edged closer to window, and pressed her face against it.

"It's Natsume!" she exclaimed.

Hotaru rather curiously peered around Mikan's head, to indeed see Natsume sitting on a bench, with a cigarette in one hand, and a can of coke in the other. "Healthy boy, isn't he?" she rather curtly commented before she looked down to see Mikan's expression. Mikan was biting her lip, and looking at him rather longingly. At that, Hotaru sighed, "You want to apologize to him, right?" Mikan opened her mouth to reply, but before she could, Hotaru had ordered, "Stop the car." to the taxi driver.

"Of course." He replied, and with that, he rather professionally swerved to the side-lanes.

Mikan looked at Hotaru, with her eyes widened, and yet again before she could say something Hotaru got there before her. "It's fine. Don't worry—this is place is about ten minutes away from the Academy by walk. I'm sure Hyuuga will help you find your way back. If not, grab a taxi." Mikan stared at her best friend in awe; it was as if she read her mind! "And don't worry about them—I'll cover for you. Now go."

Mikan blinked before she smiled. "Thanks, Hotaru! I owe you one!" She lunged forward, kissed her best friend on the cheek, and before the taxi driver could understand what was going on, the brunette was streaking down the streets, heading towards a bench. Her espresso coloured hair was fiercely yet beautifully blowing in the wind, along with her white knitted scarf. In a strange way, it was rather alluring.

"To the Academy then?" the taxi driver asked, as he gripped his steering wheel once more.

"Yes. To the Alice Academy please."

**0**

When Mikan was about ten metres away from Natsume, she realised that she wasn't wearing any makeup. And her hair was probably a mess from the wind. And that she should be bright red now she had just ran. In a nutshell, when Mikan was about ten metres away from Natsume, she started to feel self-conscious. Without any other choice, Mikan turned to her left, and looked at her reflection from a dark tinted car's window, and quickly applied some chap stick that was in her coat pocket.

She sighed, "Well, that's as good as it's gonna get . . . here goes nothing." And with that, she started to make her way again towards the bench—Natsume—but this time, she _walked._

He didn't realise her at all—she wondered, as she got closer, if he _had_ noticed her, would he have put out that foul cigarette because he knew that she hated the smell of them little cancer sticks? She cleared her throat.

"N-N . . ."

Immediately, the crimson eyes that were focused down on the pavement shot up at her and narrowed, but then, they softened when he saw who it was standing above him. Her hair was messy in a strangely nice way; her cheeks were adorably flushed; her lips pink and plumb; and her eyes were shining like they always do. He also noticed that her nose was crinkled—ahh . . . yes, she hated cigarettes, didn't she?

With that thought, Natsume dropped the cigarette on the pavement, and crushed it with his right foot.

She pressed her lips together. "Mind if I join you?"

Natsume shrugged.

Mikan sighed, as she gingerly sat down beside him. At first, she just stared in front of her, and Natsume watched her carefully from the corner of his eyes. But then, she whirled her head towards him and announced, "Look, Natsume. I'm sorry. Sorry for everything last night." Her hazel eyes looked at him rather hopefully, but he did not reply.

". . . I'm sorry!"

Again he did not reply.

And this time, Mikan did not put it down easily. She felt the corner or both her mouth and lips twitch at the same time as she looked at Natsume, who was lazily sitting, doing nothing but bit the inside of his cheek. Mikan slammed her hands against her thighs, "Okay, fine. I'm sorry for being nosy and all over the place, but last time I heard teenagers are _all _supposed to me like that! And I'm sorry for being loud, but that's not _really _my fault, is it? And nor is it my fault that I'm curious!"

Natsume snorted. "That is the _lousiest _apology I have ever heard in my life."

Mikan wryly smiled and pointed out, "Aaah, but it got you to speak at least! So I say it may be lousy, but it was pretty successful, no?" She tinkled with laughter when he scowled, but then after it, a more serious look crossed her face. "Being one hundred percent serious now . . . Natsume, I'm sorry. I really am. I didn't know my words would have such a . . . a big effect on you . . . and—" Natsume was now gazing in to her face, "sorry for being selfish." Natsume raised his eyebrows while Mikan sighed. "I had a realisation yesterday. Not only have I realised I'm being selfish to my friends by not telling them about us, but I'm also being selfish to you. It's always about me. Me, me, me, me!" She slammed a fist against her hand every time she said 'me', so it sounded like: pak, pak, pak, PAK! "Natsume, I _never _ask about you." Mikan bolding edged closer to him, and in a soft voice she continued, "I didn't know Serio Persona was your producer—" Natsume's breath hitched, "I hardly know _anything _about you! But I'm supposed to know, because you're my friend and—"

"Friends don't know _everything _about each other."

Mikan paused. She thought of her friends—Permy, Anna, Nonoko and Aoi. None of them knew that in fact she was not where Hotaru told them she was, but with Natsume Hyuuga. A guy she was supposed to hate. "That's true . . . but I'm confident to say that my _best _friend knows everything about me. And . . . I _want _to get to know you better, Natsume."

Natsume's red crimson eyes looked into Mikan's hazel ones, and she heard him murmur a, "Why?" in response.

"Because I really like you."

Natsume was completely off guard when she declared this. Mikan had said it so boldly—yes, his fan's confessions to him were bold, if not bolder than Mikan's confession, but Mikan's was also so firm, and also sounded so sure . . . It wasn't the same as the others. When a fan told him, "I really like you!", he would normally scoff in disgust and walk past. But when it was Mikan . . . even if it was the same words, he didn't know why, but he definitely felt his insides, especially around his chest get warmer. He also couldn't help feeling incredibly jubilant.

Mikan's cheeks were even pinker now, but even so, she managed to firmly ask him, "So can you _please _accept my apology?"

Yes, was of course the answer, but Natsume found pleasure when he teased poor Mikan. So, instead, he sighed, tipping his head whilst giving her an indecisive 'I-dunno. . .' expression. What he expected was her to beg some more. What he _didn't _expect was for her to suddenly stand on the bench and start to sing. His eyes widened in horror when she loudly started to chant her song, causing people walking past, and people in their cars to glance at her incredulously.

"PLEASE ACCEPT MY APOLOGY, I AM TRULY SORRY!" she sang, and looked down at him, "AND NO, I WON'T STOP SINGING, UNTIL YOU SAY ALRIGHT IT'S FINE! LALALALALALALA! I KNOW YOU DON'T LIKE THE ATTENTION! LALALALALALALA! BUT UNTIL YOU SAY, 'ALRIGHT IT'S FINE,' I WON'T STOP SINGING!" she took a deep breath, "**PLEASE ACCEP—**"

"Alright, alright!" Natsume exclaimed, as he himself stood up on the bench, and tried to pull her back down. "I accept your goddamn apology, so shut the—" Surprisingly for Natsume, he didn't succeed in pulling her down. Instead, Mikan tripped on his foot, causing them to both _topple _down onto the pavement with (somewhat) a crash.

"Ooooooh." echoed the people around them. "That's gotto hurt!"

"Oh shit." Mikan breathed out. "Oh _fuuuck!_ That really hurt!" she gasped out, as she shakily rubbed her back. She looked at Natsume, who had a similar expression to her face, and then before she could help it she started to laugh out loud. She laughed harder and harder until it was not only her back that hurt, but also tummy muscles. And then, she heard Natsume join her laughter. He wasn't _howling _with laughter like her, but he was definitely laughing.

For real.

Natsume managed to pull himself up once he had calmed down, and with his usual expression (yet, Mikan could see the corners of his lips turned up in a smile), he gave Mikan a hand to pull her up. "I'm sorry for _that_ too." She giggled.

Natsume shook his head rather amusedly, "You're mad."

Mikan raised her eyebrow, "Hey! I thought I was crazy!" she laughed again before she remarked, "That was really fun!" when he looked at, doubtfully, she added, "Not the falling bit—the busking bit!"

Natsume groaned. "That was definitely not fun."

But Mikan ignored this and continued, "I'm so going to busk on the streets from now on!—Hey! Maybe you should join me, Natsume! It _did _say on Wikipedia that you played the saxophone—"

"You checked my _Wikipedia _page?" Natsume interrupted incredulously.

Mikan nodded, "Mmhm! This morning, actually! Well it wasn't technically _your _Wiki page; it was your band's! How do you think I found out that Serio Persona was your producer, hmm?" Disregarding the fact that Natsume still stared at her incredulously (well, she _had _just shamelessly confessed she stalked his band's Wiki page to him which was a million times worse than saying you stalked one's facebook page all night), but nevertheless, she carried on: "So will you busk with me? I need some cash anyway!"

Honestly, this girl was unpredictable.

"Maybe one day." Natsume vaguely replied.

Mikan smiled at his response. "It wasn't a no! Yay!" She turned to him, and saw an expression she didn't really recongnise in Natsume's eyes. He was staring down at her almost affectionately . . .? "Natsume, when I said I really like you, I meant it. I didn't just say it so you would accept my apology."

"I know. You're not like that."

Mikan smiled, but then her heartbeat immediately quickened, when she felt his fingers gently slide across her hand, then each finger slid between her's. Tightly, she held onto his hand, and they both took a step backwards to sit back down on the bench.

'Ba-bomp. Ba-bomp. Thunk. Thunk.' went her heart mercilessly. She wondered for a second if Natsume could hear it. It was ringing so loudly in her, she was sure he _must _have . . .

"What about Ryo?"

Mikan furrowed her eyebrows, confused and then it hit her like thunder; she laughed out loud. She almost forgot that Natsume still thought her _brother _was her _boyfriend_. "There's something you have to know about Ryo—"

"He's gay?"

Mikan laughed again, "No! But he—"

"Dumped you?" Natsume guessed again, rather hopefully.

"No!"

"Has an STI?"

"No, no, no! And probably no for your next outrageous guess too! I was trying to tell you this last night . . ." Mikan took a deep breath before she announced with a smile on her face: "Ryo's my _brother, _Natsume. My brother."

Silence.

Natsume blinked. And then his eyebrows furrowed, his eyes narrowed, and he hissed, "_What?_"

Mikan laughed at his reaction for a second or two, but she could tell he needed an explanation so quickly stopped, opting to talk instead. She told him everything; on how when he assumed that was her boyfriend (the guy in the photo with Mikan), and when he _believed _Aoi's lie about the guy being her boyfriend, she just decided to play along with it, exploiting his misconception. "_You're _the one who jumped to conclusion!" she pointed out.

"But _you're _the one who called up your _brother_ to ask him to come here to Tokyo, so he could pretend to be your _boyfriend_. That is so messed up." He remarked, with his nose crinkled with disdain.

Mikan thought about this, before she laughed. "I guess it is pretty messed up!"

Natsume, with his free hand, pushed his hair back, and he said rather in a dark-humour tone, "So the past six months or so, I've been made out a fool because I believed in some rubbish. Incredible." He couldn't exactly pin-point how he felt about this information. He felt ever so slightly embarrassed, and stupid that he _believed _such things, but somewhere inside him, he was finding the funny side of things. And definitely glad that this girl before him didn't in fact belong to someone else.

Mikan laughed, as she leaned in on him; her head nestled in his torso as she laughed yet again. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

"You have a _lot _of things to apologize for."

"But _you _kind of did deserve it, Natsume! I mean, at first you did anyway! You were such a sleaze ball before. And then . . ." she looked up at him in a curious way, "you just changed. Like around New Year's. It's like you became a completely different person . . ."

Or maybe he changed _back _to his real, old self?

Natsume, even himself knew he was different around Mikan. Around his friends, he acted like a guy who thought with his dick. In front of his friends, he acted as if girls and drinks were his two favourite past-times. He went to parties he didn't enjoy, got drunk for no reason and sweet talked to girls he didn't even know, let alone like. Natsume felt he _had _to though—he didn't want to be his old self in front of his friends, because that meant there would be a part of him there, the part that was _there _when the fire happened. Parties distracted him. So did the alcohol and the girls. But ever since 2008 had started he had started to have flashbacks . . . maybe his dreams were the cause of his behaviour—maybe it was thanks to all these flashbacks he was becoming himself again. Or maybe it was Mikan, the only girl—hell, the only _person _he felt like he _could _be his old self. Sure, he was cocky around her too, but that's just in his nature. He could just _be _with Mikan, without any distractions such as loud blaring music or alcohol to take his mind of certain things—no, he could just sit with her on a bench and feel relaxed.

It was like magic.

Mikan sighed, "It's a shame though. If my friends all knew who you _really _were, I'm sure they would love you. It would be less complicated too, if you hadn't gone out with Permy in the past—"

"Are you going to tell them?"

Mikan blinked—it took her a few seconds to understand what Natsume had meant, but then she nodded and replied, "I will. I have to. They're my friends! And I think your sister deserves to know as well . . . Natsume, friends to me is like . . . it's like wetting yourself! Everyone can see it, but only you can feel its warmth!"

Natsume narrowed his eyes, and he answered, with his lips curling, "That's disgusting."

"But true!" Mikan argued.

"But _disgusting_." Natsume concluded.

Mikan smiled before she looked up into the sky and said, "I do plan to tell them soon though. I don't know when . . . but soon." She smiled as she felt the sunshine's rays hit her face gently. "The weather's getting warmer, hmm? Soon, I won't have to wear a coat or a scarf. Just a dress and sunglasses . . ."

"I suppose it is nearly March."

Mikan turned to him with a bright smile on her face, "Hey I'm kinda hungry! Wanna get a bite to eat or something?"

Natsume looked at her; he took in how her eyes looked so glassy in the sunlight, and how her hair glistened too. Her white pearly smile; her dimple on her left cheek—he blinked. Damn, he was getting distracted! Natsume stood up, causing her to stand up as well, as their hands were still entwined. "Why not?"

Three steps later, Mikan exclaimed, "Hey! I'm taking your hand!" Natsume looked at her quizzically, but then he gave a short throaty laugh. And that's when Mikan started to sing: "Take my hand tonight something-something-blah-blah-bla-blah, take my haaaand tonight—"

"Shut up or I won't busk with you."

Immediately she shut up.

**0**

**End of Chapter Twenty**

**0**


	24. Thought You'd Always Be Mine

**Disclaimer:** dhsklfhd/fhaep'g NO.

**0**

**My Happy Ending  
**_**by Little Miss Giggle**_

**0**

**Chapter Twenty One: Thought You'd Always Be Mine**

**0**

_I don't need no superman, with special powers and a fake tan,  
to try and save the day for me.  
Why can't he just let me be?_

**0**

Aoi happily hummed to herself; as she sat cross-legged on her bed, her sketchbook and colouring pencils sprawled lazily all around her. With her earphones in her ears, she was listening to the Beatles: Here Comes the Sun. She couldn't think of anything better—it was March tomorrow, and even though Tokyo was still absolutely freezing, the sun had come out to say hello more often now. And she loved that.

It was already 11:00pm, and it was also Monday morning tomorrow, but she had just gotten back from her friends' room. They were watching a movie that Sunday night—minus Mikan; she was mysteriously not there.

. . . Now that Aoi thought about it, she hadn't seen Mikan recently. She was _always _out, doing god knows what. She merely shrugged the thought of, and looked back down at her sketchbook. The girls, once the movie was over (and Mikan was back from wherever she went), started to talk about _Summer. _God, how they all missed the Summer—the sun, the ice cream, the sun cream and the beaches! Permy had just announced to them that maybe if she begged her mother hard enough, she could all get them an invite to the famous Japanese island, Okinawa, with her in mid-July.

"That would be fantastic!" they all excitedly agreed. Except Hotaru, who murmured something about crabs. All getting hyped up about this summer that-was-not-yet-planned, the girls then came onto the subject of bikini's.

"I have this really green sexy one I bought last year when I was still skinny . . . I bet now, I'll just look fat and pasty in it. And my legs will look like some prosciutto ham" Permy whined. "And it's all your fault Anna—for making the meals so damn tasty!" she girlishly accused, laughing ever so lightly.

"Oh shut up, Permy!" Aoi had laughed. "You're the skinniest girl I know! I mean, come on, if you were drowning, instead of throwing you a rubber ring, I'll toss you a bloody _cheerio._" Her friends all laughed at her smartass joke, and Aoi added, giggling, "Cheerio also floats, for your information!"

"Har har, you're hilarious." Permy sarcastically commented, but she was obviously amused too; as her green eyes were sparkling with amusement.

Back to the subject of bikini's, Anna said, "I have this really cute frilly pink bikini. But I think I've outgrown it!"

"I don't even _have _a bikini!" Mikan stated, as she pouted. "You may think you look fat in your bikini, your bikini may have outgrown you but I don't even _have _one, let alone know which kind of bikini's suit me!"

"Well Mikan since you have a small yet curvy physique, I would say just go for string bikini's, because takini's will make you look short, and the bikini's which are really tight and smoosh your boobs only suit tall girls, like Permy. It'll make you look flat-chested, and you don't want that, because you're naturally curvy and short. If you buy a bikini like that, it'll just make you look like you have huge legs—which you don't." Aoi explained, as she motioned with her hands, the boobs and butt shapes. She noticed all the startled looks her friends were giving her, so she defensively put her hand up and said, "It's just my opinion—"

"Jesus, Aoi!" Permy interrupted, now a bright smile on her face, "You should really be a fashion designer!"

Nonoko added, "What are you still doing in the Alice Academy? Get out and go to a fashion school, girl! You're wasting your time here!" Anna nodded in agreement.

"Becoming a famous fashion designer is just as hard as becoming a famous celebrity." Hotaru smoothly remarked, as her amethyst eyes looked at Aoi, carefully. "But I do have to say you're talent is remarkable."

"Aha!" Mikan cried. "Did you hear that Aoi? Hotaru just _complimented _you! She _never _does that!" Aoi giggled, and gave Hotaru a thankful look but before she could say anything, Mikan asked her, "Any chance you can sketch out what kind of swimming costume _I _would suit? Because I have no flipping idea!"

Aoi smiled, "Of course!"

"And me!" Permy, Anna and Nonoko all put their hands up, "Please!"

"Of course I will!"

And so, here she was now. On her bed, sketching bikini's for all her friends—she was pretty much done; all she had to do now was to add colour to the black and white sketches. Carefully picking up a green, Aoi gently started to shade in Permy's bikini, before she stopped and sighed. She looked down on her page. There was five bikini's drawn on the page . . . all for her friends. And then one lousy bathing suit on the page too. _Her _one. Aoi wanted to design her own bikini instead of a bathing suit, but she couldn't . . . if she ever went out in a bikini, everybody would see her scars from the fire . . . and she couldn't let that happen. What if her friends questioned about it? What if—

Suddenly, her phone buzzed, causing her to slightly jump, and blink rather rapidly. She leaned forward to her bedside table to retrieve her phone . . . 1 New Message. Immediately, she smiled. It was Youichi. And immediately, her anxiety was forgotten . . . for now.

**0**

March came; it made no real differences to them; they had the same amount of work and the weather was still a bit grey. But to Mikan, March was fantastic. All of her friends could tell that she was happy—only Hotaru knew _why_. The answer was Natsume Hyuuga. He was making Mikan's life like . . . like a _fairytale_. Every morning, she would wake up to his text, and every night the last thing she could remember doing was giggling at his texts. They spoke on the phone almost daily, and when they saw each other in the hall, Natsume would give her this special look, a look that only she would notice. And sometimes, when the hall was packed, he'd even squeeze her hand gently before carrying on walking. And nobody would ever notice.

Her friends all merely thought Natsume was out of the picture now—in front of them, he hadn't tried to make any moves on Mikan, so they now all came to the conclusion that maybe he had his eyes on someone else now . . . Hotaru and Mikan exchanged knowing looks when talks like these came up.

But Hotaru also gave Mikan an _urging _look too; she was determined to make Mikan tell her friends the truth asap, but so far, Mikan had made no effort. "Soon." she would always say—but everyday Hotaru grew _more _anxious. The longer she takes she to tell them, the harder it'll be to accept. Mikan didn't seem bothered by it though—Hotaru scoffed in thought: she was too lovedrunk to see anything clearly now. Mikan was rarely focused now; she hadn't done _anything _for her fourth piece, insisting she'll do it when she finds something true to sing about, which made Hotaru twitch: _Mikan obviously thinks of Natsume 24/7, so she should bloody well write a love song to him_, she thought rather cruelly.

Even Ryo had called her up, asking her if she told her friends. Mikan vaguely replied, before she declared she had to go, and simply hung up on him. Ever since March began, Ryo and Hotaru started to exchange emails about her. Ryo was worried about his sister, and Hotaru admitted she had a bad feeling about everything . . .

But Hotaru didn't want to break Mikan's source of happiness. She was _glowing_, _radiating _with excitement and happiness all the time now, no matter how dark the weather was.

As if she wasn't optimistic enough before . . .

"I'm so happy it's the weekend!" Mikan sighed, as she fell onto her bed, her phone pressed to her ear. She closed her eyes and enjoyed and relished the softness of the bed while she sunk deep into the mattress and blankets.

"_What are you doing this weekend?_" Natsume asked on the phone. Mikan smiled; she could hear in the background the soft strumming of a guitar, and loud voices arguing over (what she assumed) the music.

"Are you missing band practice _again?_" Mikan laughed, and she twirled on her bed, so now she was lying on her stomach.

"_It's fine—I've done my bit. Koko's just havin—Jesus Christ, Koko! You haven't plugged the guitar into the amp. That's why it's not working, idiot." _Mikan laughed. _"Anyway. So what are you doing tomorrow?_"

"Well, it's Anna and Nonoko's birthday tomorrow!" Mikan excitedly announced. "I bought Anna a really cute cookbook and bought Nonoko these really pretty stones, which are supposed to give you good luck!"

"_Sounds fab_."

She didn't miss the sarcasm in his voice; she rolled her eyes and replied, "Boys just don't get the fun in shopping for each other . . . so yeah, in the evening, after dinner, we're going to go bowling all toget—"

"_Where?_"

"Huh? Oh um . . . I think the one next to the station? The one also next to the good ramen shop? Why?"

"_Just asking . . ._" Natsume murmured back on the phone, and then, she heard a screaming Koko in the background—_"HOLY SHIT! I JUST ELECTROCUTED MYSELF!_" Mikan laughed out loud again before she said, "I think you should go Natsume. I'm not going to hog you for any longer—go practice. And help that friend of yours!"

"_Stupid idiot—. . . I'll see you soon, Mikan._"

"Bye!"

Mikan hung up, and put her phone on the bedside table. She smiled, feeling all warm and bubbly inside . . . and then she started to giggle at the thought of Kokoroyomi shrieking about being electrocuted. She hoped he was alright and she also hoped that one day she'll be able to meet him properly. He sounded hilarious . . . all of Natsume's friends sounded pretty cool and funny to be honest. After she had apologized to him, she forced him to tell stories about himself to her, so she could get to know him better. Though she didn't miss that _all_ the stories he told were only from when he was in the Academy. There were no stories about his life before the Academy . . .

Natsume told Mikan about his best friends: Ruka, Koko and Kitsune-me. He also admitted to her that his friends knew about him and Mikan, about their secret relationship, but also told her not to worry—he trusted his friends wouldn't tell anybody. He also mentioned that Tobita Yuu—his manager knows about it too, as he should have picked it up when they were having band rehearsals. "But he won't tell anyone. He can't even kill a mosquito for Chirst's sake." Natsume had assured Mikan.

_Maybe one day_, Mikan thought to herself, _we'll all be able to get together, my friends and his friends, without any problems . . ._

"Mikan!" Anna called. "Dinner!"

Mikan cheered and jumped off her bed. After all, she was _starving._

**0**

"How does it feel to be seventeen?" Mikan asked, the following day, on the 13th of March. "Ahh, Happy Birthday!" she congratulated Anna and Nonoko again, as she squealed. It was eight o'clock, and the girls were currently all squeezed into a taxi—"It's a good think none of us are obese." Permy had commented—heading their way to a bowling alley. It was only ten minutes away; they _could _have walked, but Permy, who was wearing a ridiculously high pair of Kurt Geiger heels refused to. She looked particularly beautiful today in her heels and green body-con dress.

Anna had cut her hair early today—explaining to her friends she always got a haircut on her birthday, to make her feel at least a _bit _different from the day before. It was much shorter, almost like a bob—now, she looked like a pixie, with her short curly pink hair, big blue eyes, and in her golden baby doll dress and pumps. "Thanks, Mikan!"

Nonoko nodded, "Yeah thanks _all _of you! For the presents and _everything!_" Nonoko had her hair tied up into a high pony tail, that bouncily swished (along with her dangly round earrings) when she turned her head to the side. She wore a rather boho-coloured playsuit, with a stringy belt and to top it off, a nice chunky pair of golden strappy wedges. "I love these earrings by the way, Aoi!" she added, flashing a smile to her.

Aoi laughed, "They look fab on you, hon! I'm so glad I got them instead of these other ones—which were also beautiful, but I think I made the right choice!" Anna flashed a smile of pearly whites—her red lipstick really made them seem whiter, and her crimson eyes seem bigger; more fuller too. She looked magnificent in her patterned fishnet tights, ankle boots, black body-con skirt and teeshirt topped with a woolly cardigan.

"Please stop the car just there," Hotaru simply commanded to the taxi driver, as she lifted her skinny finger to point to where she talking about. Hotaru was wearing a body con dress too (it's all about body con dresses now, eh?), a black one at that, yet the shoulder bit had shoulders padding sewn in them (also in style to emphasis the shoulders) and was a rich Egyptian gold colour. Topped off with a black pair of ankle boots and tights, Hotaru looked incredible.

"Righty-O!" the taxi driver replied.

Mikan smiled. She thanked him, before she stepped out of the taxi, her new pair of tan-coloured leather cowboy boots, touching the pavement first. The wind was lightly whirling, causing her lightly curled hair to blow, as well as her flower-print dress. Mikan was the definition of spring tonight—with her dress, topped off with a denim jacket and a pink woolly scarf. She breathed in the air—yes, it was tainted with pollution, but it was air—and felt herself revitalising. Before she knew it though, her friends had linked arms with her—"Come on, day dreamer! Time for bowling, babe!"

**0**

The bowling alley was lit up in a dark yet bright blue; coloured lights were flashing everywhere; neon was visible at every corner. Mikan couldn't help feel like she was also going _partying_—the music also put her in the mood, quite honestly. The girls were just about to go into their game of bowling (_finally, _as it took _ages _of convincing words directed at Permy; telling her she won't get athlete's foot by borrowing and wearing a pair of bowling shoes), all with a suitable bowling ball in the hands when—

"_Oh my freaking God!" _Permy shrieked.

Hotaru groaned, "What now? Did you see an alien?"

"No, but I see _Hyuuga _and his frigging group of friends!" Permy announced in a hiss, only for them all to gasp and exclaim a _"What?"_ in surprise. They all snapped their heads in the direction Permy was glaring at, and indeed it _was _them.

Natsume, looking incredibly _good_ in a pair of jeans, a white simple no-sleeve vest; Ruka looking incredible in his blue worn out jeans; Koko wearing black jeans; and Kitsune-me wearing trackies. Not only was it them four, but also with them was Tobita Yuu (in a suit!), their _manager._

"What are _they _doing here?" Permy cried.

Aoi bit her lip, as she tipped toe-d in her heels to get a better look of what was going on around her brother . . . girls seemed to be looking in their direction, giggling, and Aoi couldn't help scowl. She thought she knew where _this _was going—her brother will get cosy with one of the girls, screw her over and leave her. And probably drink throughout the scenario too. _Yup_, she thought, _that's what's going to happen tonight._

"Yeah," Hotaru said, as she nudged Mikan inconspicuously in her arm, "what _are _they doing here?" she asked, obviously directing her question to Mikan, as her amethyst observed her best friend, who merely let out an unsure laugh and guessed, "Bowling?"

"Yeah, no shi—_shit! _I think they saw us!" Permy squeaked, her hands immediately, as if by reflex action, scrambling to her face in hope to cover it. Indeed, the boys had caught sight of the girls—it was like a domino effect. Natsume was in fact the first to notice them—his eyes caught Mikan, and then nudging his friends, their heads _all _swivelled in the direction of the girls. And so did the heads of the crowding giggling girls, who now all had 'who-the-hell-are-_they_' sort of scowls on their faces.

Permy quickly shuffled away, heading towards a vacant bowling alley, which was situated as far as possible from them—Anna, Nonoko, Aoi all started to follow Permy, so Mikan grabbed the chance, looked back at Natsume and mouthed, "What are you _doing _here?"

"Bowling. _Duh._"

Mikan frowned at his response, but then playfully rolled her eyes and a smiled made its way on her face. She made a motion that signified, 'see you later', but before she could turn around and follow her friends, Natsume _and his_ friends, were striding their way over to Mikan.

_Oh shit._

Natsume finally reached her . . . his hands, when they passed her's, lightly and softly touched and squeezed her's, but her eyes widened in bewilderment when he continued to walk _past _her (and Hotaru, as she was standing beside Mikan throughout the whole display), and towards her friends. Her friends, by now, realised Natsume and co. were coming towards them, and were hysterically whispering at each other, "The _hell _is going on? Why are they coming to _us._"

"Hey." Natsume called at them, his voice gruff yet not unfriendly. His crimson eyes fell upon the twins, who couldn't help but blush under his intense scrutiny (not to mention he was gorgeous)—"Happy birthday."

And before _any _of them knew what the hell was going on, Koko and Kitsune-me started to loudly sing the Birthday song—"Happy birthday to you!"—and soon, it was joined by Ruka, Yuu and Natsume—"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Anna and Nonoko!"—Mikan laughed and joined the last line, and that's when she realised nearly everybody in the bowling alley was singing along!—"Happy birthday to you!" The song ended: and everybody in the alley started to excitedly cheer and whoop; some even started to bang their fists on the table and whistle wolfishly.

Anna, who had gone as pink as her hair, and Nonoko, who had gone as red as Aoi's eyes, both giggled and said in sync, "T-Thank you!" in response. Permy and Aoi on the other hand, had their eyes widened and their jaws dropped in pure and utter _shock _and _horror_—Natsume Hyuuga had just wished the twins a happy birthday? Aoi blinked; what had _happened _in the last three months?

Mikan, who was still laughing, and Hotaru, who had a surprised look on her face, then both made their way to the cluster to see what was going on. Before Mikan could open her mouth though, somebody from behind was calling—"Natsume! Natsume!"

They all turned around to see Tobita Yuu running towards them. He gasped for breath when he reached them (poor bloke only ran about 50m and he was exhausted) and panted, "Bowling alley – next to us – is free."

Natsume smirked, "Wicked." He then turned to Mikan and her friends and asked, "Hey you guys wanna play game?"

Mikan kept her mouth shut—she decided her friends should make the decision, especially the birthday girls. Of course she herself wanted to say her, but she could just imagine the surprised and shocked reactions of her friends if she agreed to his offer—so instead, she just carefully watched her friends with her hazel eyes.

Permy was twitching, shifting her glances between the twins; Aoi still looked in shock; and both Anna and Nonoko were looking at their friends, as if they were mentally communicating with them, asking for someone to say _something._

"Come on," Natsume urged, rather charmingly. "One game."

"Come oooon!" Koko repeated, chanting. "It'll be boys versus girls—we'll see how much points the guys will whoop the girls ass's by!"

"Excuse me?" Permy demanded. "Correction: we'll see how much points the _girls _will whoop the boy's ass's by!"

Kitsune-me grinned, "So it's on!"

"_If_," Hotaru answered, with a rather greedy look in her eye, "there is money involved. Winning team takes all."

Mikan snorted, "Hotaru, I don't see how you can see past those money signs in your eyes! And besides, there's six of us, and five of you, including Yuu. That's not even!" she rather smartly pointed out.

"And I thought you were hopeless at maths." muttered Natsume, glancing at Mikan, with a twinkle in his eye. "Yuu here says he'll skip bowling—he has to go back to the Academy now anyway, to meet . . . yeah. So minus him, there would be ten of us."

Yuu then nodded and said in his high voice, "When you're ready, the two bowling alley's are saved for you!"

"Thanks, manager ol' pal!" Koko and Kitsune-me thanked, as they patted his back whilst Ruka and Natsume thankful looked at their manager.

"Why don't we make the groups then? We can pull names out of a hat or whatever and have two teams, each consisting of fives." Ruka said, as he smiled. "What you guys say about that? No—what do the twins say about that? I mean, it is your birthday."

Anna opened her mouth then shut it. She then smiled brightly towards them, while in fact she was annoyingly nudging Nonoko unnoticeably on the arm. Nonoko tried to nudge back, but boy oh boy was her sister one tough cookie. In the end, Nonoko was the one who had to come to the decision. "Well," she finally said, as she looked around to her friends, especially the-still-in-shock-Aoi, "I guess so. Winner takes all it is!"

Koko whooped. "_Now _we're talking!"

**0**

"Alright . . ." Ruka picked out another name from the hat, and Hotaru leaned towards him, to get a glimpse of the name on the paper—the two most responsible girl and boy (which were obviously Ruka and Hotaru) were in charge of putting everybody in either Team Fantabulous (name chosen by Permy) and Team AwesomeRocketBowChickaWowow (Koko).

"God, I hope I don't have you on my team, Aoi." Natsume groaned, as he nudged his sister, "If I recall correctly, you were _crap _at bowling." He stated in a teasing manner. Aoi was _completely_ shocked by now—no honestly, what had _happened _to him? But as well as being completely surprised, she was also unbelievably happy. When one is so . . . angry and disappointed at one, they don't realise how much they miss another until a memory from the past is shone in the light.

"Come on, I wasn't as bad as Maki!" Aoi laughed, as she remembered the girl, who was very clumsy due to her clown-like feet.

"Yeah, well _nobody _was as bad as that girl." Natsume pointed out.

Anna and Nonoko watched in somewhat _awe _at the two siblings reconnecting. The steps they were taking were very little but at least they were _conversing _even if it was about bowling. They smiled at each other; being twins, they knew how important the connections between siblings really were.

Permy on the other hand, had rather a sceptical look on her face; did she believe what was going on before her? Honestly, no—she believed there was definitely a _reason _for Natsume's new attitude . . . but she shrugged it off, it was Anna and Nonoko's birthday, she shouldn't ruin it by being a sour and awkward pudding. So she boldly laughed and said, "No, no, somebody _could _be worse, I bet you. Luna Koizumi is officially the shittest bowler in the whole of Japan."

The girls all sniggered in thought, while Koko and Kitsune-me laughed out loud. "Yeah, true." Natsume agreed, as he shrugged with a grin on his face.

Koko suddenly wailed, "Natsume, oh Natsume! I'm Luna and I broke my _nail! _The bowling bowl _broke _my precious nail!"

Kitsune-me joined, "Don't forget my feet also hurt. Owch!" he whined in a high girlish voice.

Mikan joined the laughter but now _she _couldn't help now but feeling sceptical about _Permy_. Just before, her heart was gushing as she saw Natsume and Aoi reconnect; but now a growing bubble of fear and distrust was surfacing. Of course, Mikan didn't know Permy was trying to be friendly in hope she wouldn't make the twins' birthday a fail; no, Mikan was feeling rather paranoid . . . _what if Permy_, she thought as her hazel eyes flickered towards the tall curly-haired beauty, _was using this as a chance to reconnect with Natsume? What if she still _did _like him?_

"Alright, the teams are decided!" Ruka announced, and everybody immediately turned to look at them, excited for the results. Ruka opened his mouth, but Hotaru spoke instead, calling out, "On Team Fantabulous we have: Sumire, Anna, Aoi, Nogi and Hyuuga." Before anyone could comment, Hotaru sharply followed by saying: "And so on Team . . . Awesome Rocket Bow Chicka Wow Wow—"

"Say it quicker!" Koko interrupted. "Like Awesomerocketbowchickawowow!"

There was a bit of an awkward silence, but then the girls all giggled at Koko, except for Hotaru who narrowed her eyes. ". . . the teammates are Nonoko, Mikan, myself and the two idiots." She said, her eyes blatantly on Koko and Kitsune-me, who in response chuckled and gushed, "Aw shucks, Hotaru! Nicknames already?"

"We are so going to kick your ass, Awesomerocketbowchickawowow!" Permy announced, as she stood up, looking ready to pounce it seemed like.

"Pfft. Yeah _right, _Fantabulous!" Koko snickered. "And what kind of name is Fantabulous! Ooooh, burn!"

"You gonna need ice for that burn, huh? Huh?" Kitsune-me added, cackling rather childishly.

**0**

"WOO! STRIKE!" Mikan stood up, as she whooped and clapped. Koko turned back around, only for his tongue to be sticking out completely and his hands to be shaped in the Rock And Roll position. He then whooped too, and made his way back to the seats, giving Mikan a high five on the way back down.

"You're incredible—that's the fifth strike in a row! How do you do it?" Nonoko asked, as she herself clapped at Koko.

"Well—" Koko started, with a 'I'm-just-incredible' tone and smile, only for Kitsune-me to interrupt him, coughing, "Faa-luke. Fluke."

They all laughed, while Hotaru observed, "Well keep that fluke going Yome, and we might just win. The points are very close and we are in the lead." Team Awesomerocketbowchickawowow (minus Hotaru) all roared in cheers at the news.

Mikan then heard Permy cheer—"Go Hyuuga!" and if by reflex, Mikan twirled her head and shifted her hazel eyes towards the other bowling alley, only to see Natsume launch his ball to the bowling pins—_Pack!_—she rolled her eyes rather amusedly. Figures. A strike from the great Natsume Hyuuga—his fifth one too, actually. Anna and Permy both loudly whooped for his success, and Mikan couldn't help a pang of jealousy prick her heart as she watched Permy compliment Natsume on his skills—"It's all his muscles that are doing the work, Anna! That's why his bowls whizzes down the alley—go on, show her your guns!"

Suddenly, she felt Kitsune-me lean closer to her, and she looked around to see him motioning to come closer to him. She neared her ear to him, and heard him whisper, "Don't worry, Sakura. He only has eyes for you." Mikan blinked and processed this information first before she smiled at him. "Thanks."

"No probs—by the way, you're next!" he added, as he patted her back, signalling for her to get up and score some points for team Awesomerocket . . . yeah, you know. Pretty much at the same time, she saw Aoi get up her seat for her turn to bowl—she had a bit of an uneasy smile on her face. Natsume was right—Aoi was hopeless at bowling, only managing to score 4 in the possibility of getting 50 (as Koko and Natsume had managed).

"Team Fantabulous would lose if only their other players all weren't so good and if only our team players were _all _good at bowling." Hotaru reported, as she sipped her peppermint tea.

"You can't talk, mate!" Koko snickered, only to earn himself a glare from the amethyst-eyed girl. "Sorry!" he apologized quickly, putting his hands up defensively, "Just joking; no hard feelings!"

The score for each player (so far) were the following:

Anna: 31  
Aoi: 4  
Hotaru: 21  
Kitsune-me: 43  
Koko: 50  
Mikan: 34  
Natsume: 50  
Nonoko: 35  
Ruka: 47  
Sumire: 38

Meaning, the total for Team Fantabulous was currently 180 and for Team A was currently 183.

But that could all change, in this next set . . . and the two starting players were Mikan and Aoi . . .

"Go Mikan!" Nonoko whistled, as Mikan picked up her bowling ball. Mikan looked back and winked playfully at her friend before she made her way to the alley, just in front of the line. She took a deep breath, and was about to launch her ball forward, when she saw Aoi come to the bowling alley's line to the left of her.

"Good luck, Aoi!" Mikan said, as she smiled at her friend.

Aoi bit her lip, "Thanks, I need it!"

Mikan laughed, and was about to say more, but then Natsume was suddenly behind Aoi—

"Hey!" Koko shouted. "You can't shoot the ball for her, cheater!"

Natsume whirled his head around and stated, "I'm not going to. I'm just giving brotherly _advice_. So relax, you fag." Before he turned back to his sister. "You're throwing the ball wrong, Aoi. You're throwing the ball like the way you would throw a hula hoop to make it come rolling back to you. That's why it swerves halfway through and that's why your ball speed is so bloody slow."

Mikan smiled affectionately at the both of them, before she turned her attention back to her own bowling alley. She took another deep breath, and then threw her ball with all her might down the alley. It quickly sped down the alley—_Pak!_—Mikan smiled. Not exactly a strike, but eight out of ten pins were down. And the last two were centres—should be easy to knock 'em down.

"You see how Polka threw her ball?" Natsume asked Aoi. Mikan turned around only to see him looking at her, with his mouth curved up into a smile. He winked at her with his right eye, which went unnoticed by Aoi as she was watching Mikan now as well. She smiled at them both before she went to retrieve another bowling ball, and as she turned around she heard Aoi reply, "Mmhmm, yeah I did!"

"Well throw it like that. But put more power into than that—I know you're not some weakling like Polka, Aoi. You hit me real good when you were young."

Aoi started to laugh, "I did, didn't I?"

"Weakling?" Mikan repeated, as she now retuned with the same bowling ball in her hand. Natsume smirked at her, and Aoi giggled, while Mikan merely raised her eyebrows. "Natsume, I'm no weakling. And I'll prove that to you by this Spare I'm about to get!" and with that, she kissed the bowling ball, and launched her arm back and _swoosh! _Down it went rolling down the alley, dead down the centre—"Come on, you can do it Bally!" cheered Koko who was on his goddamn _knees_, to the _ball—_and _Pak! _

Alas, it only hit one of the two.

"Aww come on!" Mikan cried, as she clutched her head and span around once. "The bloody pin wobbled for Christ's sake! _Wobbled!_"

Natsume snickered, "Weakling."

Mikan looked at Natsume with a pout on her face and she replied, "Shut up Natsume or I'll kick you in the balls now to contradict that statement." With that, Mikan stuck her tongue out rather childishly at him, and made her way back down to the seats.

Natsume throatily laughed to himself, "Crazy that one . . ." before she turned his attention back to Aoi. "You think you can do it then, eh?"

Aoi's head was buzzing and whirring. She wasn't sure why, but the conversation that just happened now between her brother and her friend . . . something was definitely different. She didn't know what, but she knew something that Mikan had said was the cause of all this thinking. She blinked back into focus, and turned to her brother to reply, "Y-Yeah, yeah! Throw like Mikan, but with power."

Her brother nodded, "Go for it."

And so she did.

_Pak!_

"Did you see that, mofos?" Koko cried unbelievably, as he stood up from his seat, his hands in his messy hair. "Aoi Hyuuga just got a fucking Strike!"

Team Fantabulous were all cheering rather loudly now (minus Natsume though, who did in fact look rather smug) while Team A all had their jaws down, especially Koko and Kitsune-me, who had a big WTF written on their faces. "How d'you do it?" Kitsune-me demanded. "How did you get her to get a Strike? I mean, Aoi—remember in Sapporo? You couldn't shot to save your life!"

Aoi laughed as she shrugged her shoulders, "I have no idea! I just did it!" She turned back to her brother to give him a thankful look, which he returned by giving her a pat on her back.

"Damn," Hotaru cursed, "if Aoi keeps this up, we might just lose. Meaning we'd lose all the money I betted . . ."

Aoi still had a jubilant expression on her face as she went down to the chairs, to take a seat next to Permy, who congratulated her. She thanked her, before her crimson eyes fell upon Mikan . . . whose hazel eyes were upon her brother; rather intently, and with an emotion Aoi did not recognise. An emotion she had never seen Mikan look at her brother with.

Natsume. Her brother. Aoi looked towards him again rather observantly. He had . . . Aoi was confident to think that her brother had changed. Changed back to his old self ever so slightly—just _speaking _to her again normally and unlike she was just a pawn in his plans or pain in the arse was a _huge _difference to her. But why?—

Aoi's eyes widened.

"_Natsume, I'm no weakling."_

"_Shut up Natsume"_

. . . Since when had Mikan called her brother _Natsume?_ Hadn't it always been Hyuuga? In Japan, one only calls another by their first name if they're close; people in streets let alone two people (well Mikan) who dislike each other shouldn't be calling each other by their first names . . . Or was there something she was missing slash didn't know?

Her eyes widened, as they flashed between her brother and friend . . . Could it be?

**0**

"_That_," Anna declared, as she taxi door closed behind her while she was buckling up her seat belt, "was an _incredible _birthday!"

Nonoko quickly agreed and added, "I would say best actually! It was swell!"

Permy laughed, "I admit I had some fun too!" But then a wicked grin crossed her face; "I think we all did except Miss Imai in the front." They all started to laugh as Hotaru scoffed and scowled at them. "Come on Hotaru—you didn't bet _that _much. None of us did, really, except for _him. _Feel sorry for him, the goofball who betted all his pocket money!" Permy added, obviously talking about Koko, who was (if possible) even more devastated when Team Awesomerocketbowchickawowow lost. By _one _point, too.

"But that Hyuuga sure has some skills." Anna whistled as she laughed. "I mean, bowling a _split_? And knocking them both down? Gah—unbelievable!"

"Even I underestimated him." Hotaru confessed, as she was now typing around on her phone. "I did not calculate him to do that."

"Was he always that good?" Nonoko asked Aoi, who had been quite quiet after her fantabulous strike (which she only managed to do once, sadly. Her other hits, thought not strikes were perfectly good). Aoi blinked before she nodded rather frantically, "Oh he was incredible! When we were younger, him and them lot would go like every weekend to get good."

Mikan smiled in thought of a younger Natsume—oh yeah, she could just imagine him. Cocky for his age, but for a good reason; snide; sneaky; cheeky—

"What do you think of him, Mikan?" Aoi suddenly asked, rather unexpectedly. "What do you think of my brother?"

"Oh. Well . . ." Mikan hesitated. Should she finally take this chance? And tell her friends? She shifted her eyes, only to see Hotaru's amethyst eyes watching her from the rear view mirror, an urging look in her eye, as if she were lulling her to go on and tell her friends all the truth. But Mikan couldn't. Not in a _taxi_, anyway. "His friends all really nice! And um yeah, I think Nat—Hyuuga's better than before . . . no?"

"Mm." Permy agreed. "Totally. But I still won't trust him, because well, that's just me. I'm such a bitter person, you know?" She shrugged before she added, "Sorry Aoi. I know he's your brother and all, but I just can't forgive him. I don't give a damn if he's changed, he's still the guy who broke my heart into a million pieces."

Anna and Nonoko both comforted Permy, cooing, "Aww Permy . . ." while Aoi gave her an apologetic look. Mikan, on the other hand felt like sneering. Honestly—

Suddenly her phone buzzed, as she picked it up, only to see she had an unread message from Hotaru . . . confused, she looked back up the rear view mirror, and saw her best friend's eyes on her . . . in an expression which looked almost disappointed. Mikan gulped, and quickly took the chance when the three girls comforted Permy to read the secret message her best friend just sent her . . .

_You missed you're chance, dummy. Tell them soon, while they still think he's changed. You're making this worse for yourself. Like I said, one day that snowball of lies is going to fall to pieces._

A sense of fear and guilt gripped Mikan from the insides again—that feeling of dread, and praying that whatever she expected to come would never come. But then suddenly, her phone buzzed again and she looked back up at the rear view mirror in bewilderment (to see Hotaru still looking at her with that same expression) before she checked who the sender was.

Sender was Naoko Hayazawa.

The fake name on her phone for Natsume Hyuuga.

Quickly, she opened the SMS to see his message below:

_Hey. Hope you had fun tonight. Sleep well xx_

She smiled affectionately down at the phone before she glanced at her friends, whose attention was still elsewhere.

_Who said the night was already over, huh? xox_

But Hotaru's eyes, though unknown to Mikan were still on her. Rather in a hostile manner, too. Hotaru could tell by her sappy expression that Mikan had just received a text from Hyuuga—and honestly, she didn't like it. Every time she tried to teach her best friend a valuable lesson, it was like she chose not to see her, and focused on Natsume even more. And now, observing from Aoi's expression and shifty glances at Mikan, Hotaru had an itching feeling that Aoi was onto something too.

She had a bad feeling.

**0**

**End of Chapter Twenty One**

**0**


	25. Before The Storm

**Disclaimer:** Omgomgomg! Type in, "Norwegian Recycling Soul of Fireflies" on Youtube! Love it so much! And no I don't own Alice Gakuen!

**0**

**My Happy Ending  
**_**by Little Miss Giggle**_

**0**

**Chapter Twenty Two: Before the Storm**

**0**

_I don't need no superman, with special powers and a fake tan,  
to try and save the day for me.  
Why can't he just let me be?_

**0**

_Ryo,_

_Sorry to say, but I'm afraid to report that I think Mikan is _never _going to tell __our__ friends. I can tell sometimes when Hyuuga comes up in the conversation, she wants to tell them all, confess to them about him, but then a second later, it's as if she remembers all the fun she has with him, and believes that Hyuuga is completely worth all this mess. Maybe he is, I don't know, nor do I _want _to know, to be frank. All I'm saying is, I think you should give Mikan a ring soon to try convince her, as obviously I don't seem to be doing much at the moment. This lie is getting out of hand, and for little reason too._

_Hotaru Imai._

**0**

"Hey Mikan, have you thought about your song for the Fourth Round yet?" Aoi asked, as she peered her head into Mikan's room one night in late March. Mikan, who was sitting cross-legged on her bed, listening to her iPod, looked up and shook her head. Aoi gasped, before she made her way into her room, glancing her red eyes from side to side, observing what Mikan kept in her room. "You haven't? I mean—Mikan, it's nearly _April! _Usually you finish your song by the first month, leaving the rest of the weeks to practice!" Aoi narrowed her eyes by the slightest as she asked, "Why haven't you? And why does it feel like I haven't seen you at all this month? . . . Where have you been?"

Mikan bit her lip, as she paused her iPod and turned to look at her friend. "You know . . . just around. And about my song—I dunno, I mean, I want to write, I really do. But a song about the truth? It's just . . ." _I haven't been truthful in the slightest way recently. So how am I supposed to write a song about the truth if I'm a liar? _She finished off in her head.

"You were writing a few days ago, Mikan." Aoi pointed out, as she sat down on Mikan's bed, beside her friend. "You were working pretty hard on it—want me to check it out?"

"Uhh, naah. It's fine. I mean, it's not a song . . . you know to share. It's more of a song for myself. Like . . . a diary. But in a song." Mikan answered rather unexpectedly, causing Aoi to blink in bewilderment. Usually Mikan was totally up for showing her things, let alone her songs, to everybody! Like the time when she got new underwear, she was showing the whole female population it! Not to mention, Mikan looked like a kid who just stole candy when she said it—her hazel eyes were darting all over the place and she kept opening and closing her mouth and then pressing her lips together. Not to mention her cheeks were a bit pink.

Something was fishy.

"Alright then." Aoi replied as she shrugged and stood up. "But tell me when you've got it, because I need to make something for you, for the Fourth Round!—I was thinking just a white dress though. It'll make you look like an angel or something, and you know how angels don't lie! They're so pure! It'll make your song sound more truthful, I thought!"

Mikan smiled, "Yeah that sounds perfect! I can so imagine me coming down the stage with . . . with _wings!_" Aoi laughed and Mikan joined, before she added, "Thanks, Aoi. I really appreciate it."

"Mm, no worries. Oh and Anna wanted me to tell you, dinner in thirty minutes." With that, Aoi started to make her way to the door before she looked back, "Hey, there's something good on TV. We're watching it—d'you wanna join?"

"Yeah sure, in a bit?"

"Of course!" Aoi smiled. Aoi was just about to disappear into the hallway, but before she could, she looked back at Mikan. Mikan saw the expression in Aoi's eyes—unlike Hotaru's disappointed look (which she had been getting a lot these days), Aoi's eyes showed nothing but an empty lonely feeling . . . "Hey Mikan . . . is there something I should know?"

This was it. Mikan knew herself for once this was it—there were no distractions, and to be honest, she felt sick of lying—what kind of friend _does _that? And Aoi didn't deserve not knowing—the guy she was seeing was her _brother _for Chrissake. Not to mention, recently, probably thanks to Hotaru's rather cold distant looks, she was having dreams of actually _being _a snowman; and somebody pushed her down, down, down a hill and—_bam!_—she had fallen to pieces. Hotaru's words of her lies being a great big ball of snow really was scaring Mikan now, at least, when she was distracted anyway.

But she couldn't.

Even if she tried so hard. Even if she _wanted _to.

She couldn't tell Aoi.

"No." Mikan replied with a forced smile on her face. "Nothing at all."

**0**

"This is _delicious._" Permy commented, as she licked her spoon, fishing the cream into her mouth like a cat. "I mean, normally I hate cake. Because all I think is 'you're making me fat, stupid cake.' But Anna—oh la la! It's _incredible! _Strawberry Shortcake is officially Sumire Shouda's favourite cake!"

Anna laughed and replied, "The strawberries in Japan are so good though! They're massive compared to the one's I've seen around the world!"

"Oh gimme another piece, Anna!"

"You sure, Permy?" Anna double-checked nevertheless taking Permy's plate and putting another piece of cake on her plate. "You sure you're not going to regret it in an hour's time?"

"Come on, we _have _to celebrate! I mean Anna and Nonoko, my chums, you've finished your piece for the Fourth Round! I, on the other hand, am struggling with my violin piece—"

"Oh my God, same!" Mikan interrupted, putting her hand up. "I just have no—"

"Inspiration!" Permy finished off for Mikan, as she nodded in agreement. "Exactly! I have no effing inspiration what so ever."

Nonoko grimaced, "I'm not too confident on our piece though. Anna and I don't think we're going to get through this Round. Dunno—country music is very honest . . . but what's there to write about? A song about the truth is so hard to write strangely and surprisingly . . . Hotaru, what's your piece about?"

Hotaru who was sipping her ginger tea, put her teacup down and replied, "My love for money." The girls all laughed. "What?" she shrugged. "It's true. I'm being serious. I'm not in love with anything else."

"What about crab?" Mikan giggled, teasing her best friend. "You can play a song about a crab . . . which you end up eating."

"No, what about Ruka Nogi?" Permy asked, her eyebrows dancing maliciously. "He seems rather smitten with her, no?" she asked the table, which the girls all agreed laughing.

Hotaru scoffed, almost in what looked like disgust before she spat, "What about you and Yome? And Aoi and Youichi? Stop being so immature, all of you."

"Hey!" Aoi cried. "Don't categorize Youichi and I into the same category as Permy and Koko! That's insulting!" this caused all the girls to snort, and Hotaru to mockingly reply, "Oh my bad, Aoi. I apologize for my obvious stupidity."

Permy had her arms crossed over her chest, and her green eyes narrowed as barked, "Don't put Koko and me together at _all! _There is no chance in this life I would ever get with someone like him. I go for the cooler guys."

"Oh come on, Koko is so much cooler than my brother." Aoi answered, with a bit of a roll of an eye. "And he makes people laugh."

"I don't think Hyuuga's that bad anymore," Anna remarked, as she lazily shrugged her shoulders. "I mean, Nonoko and I even spoke to him today in the hallways—you should have seen that cow Koizumi's face! Anyway, he was alright. A bit ape-ish with his grunts, but alright."

"Baah." Permy scoffed, as she dismissively shook her hand. "Still don't like him . . . although God he is hot. To think I used to date him!" she dreamily sighed, causing the twins to giggle into their puddings. "No offence, Aoi. And I hope I didn't make it awfully uncomfortable with that lustful sigh!"

Aoi smiled at Permy, telling her with her eyes that it was fine in a glance, before she returned to turn her gaze back on Mikan. Throughout the whole conversation about her brother, Mikan had become completely quiet, and seemed to be painfully avoiding eye contact with anyone—_especially _her and Hotaru, doing this by playing with her cake on her plate.

. . . But when Permy spoke, her hazel eyes . . . just narrowed. Which shocked and surprised her, because it was totally unlike Mikan to _glare_ like that. Mikan almost looked . . . jealous. Or angry. Maybe both? If she didn't know any better, she would've said that Mikan was keeping a secret. There _was _something she didn't know about—she could tell; _feel _it in her veins—and honestly, as curious as she was, Aoi was more upset to think that Mikan couldn't trust her and tell her what the hell was going on.

Aoi then suddenly sadly smiled. She really couldn't talk in this case . . . after all, there were some things that her friends didn't know about her . . . like what happened three years ago, on the 27th of November. Her scars on her back started to tingle in thought of the memory and she couldn't help but shudder ever so slightly.

**0**

One hour and fifty four minutes.

That was how long Mikan and Natsume had been on the phone for . . . so far. Mikan groaned, "Ugh, my brain feels like it's been cooked I've been on the phone for so long! And you're the reason my credit is disappearing!"

She heard Natsume let out a short raspy laugh slash snort, before he replied, _"Hey Polka, what's the date today?"_

Mikan blinked, and paused for a second in thought. "The date?" she repeated, trying to get her brain to function. "The date is . . . ooh, the 3rd of April. Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's right!"

"_Want to go to Ueno Kouen tonight?"_

"Tonight?" she checked the clock on her wall, to see it was still only four in the afternoon.

"_Yeah. I mean, it's a Saturday and . . . wait, you've never had a spring in Tokyo, have you?"_

Even though she knew she couldn't see him, she shook her head anyway while answering, "Nope! Why?"

"_So you're free tonight?"_

Mikan guiltily thought of her friends for a moment. Mikan had promised them that she would go to the movies with them tonight (her friends were currently all in the living room, watching MTV's _16 and Pregnant_) and treat them all for ice cream. She was sure her friends—especially Aoi wouldn't buy her excuse for bailing tonight, and almost certain that Hotaru would not help her anymore with her lies.

But she _really _wanted to see Natsume.

"Yeah—hey!" a smile crept on her face, and her worry disappeared as quickly as it came. "Let's busk tonight! Oh please!" There was a pause, but then the line crackled and Natsume replied, "_Sorry, Koko has shit reception in his room. Anyway, busk? What song?"_

Mikan thought for a second before a peachy glow came across her face and she proposed, "I-I wrote a song. Recently. I could always sing that."

"_You have music for it?"_

"Yeah—acoustic guitar."

"_Alright, bring it along—I'll play the music, and you sing."_

Mikan blinked, surprised. "Seriously? I mean—really? You'll busk with me?—Wait, wait, don't answer that; just in case you've changed your mind!" She started to laugh before she continued, "Oh my God, I can't wait now!"

"_Meet me outside on the benches at 6:00pm, alright?"_

**0**

The front door clicked shut, and the girls held their breath to check if Mikan was actually still in the room or not. When they heard nothing, Permy rounded her head back to her friends, and asked, "Did any of you believe that, or was is it just me who doesn't believe that Mikan just left to go to the gym? I mean, she _blew us off _for the gym?" She crinkled her nose and scoffed, "That's complete bullshit."

"Yeah, I have to agree with you there." Anna mused. "I mean, remember when you," she looked over at Aoi, "got Mikan to go on that diet and exercise? She hated that!"

"There is no way Mikan just bailed out on our plans for the gym." Nonoko concluded.

"Hey," Aoi said, "does anybody actually . . . _know _where Mikan goes these days?" Even though the question was directed to all her friends, Aoi's eyes were on the amethyst beauty, who looked extremely irritated, and had her lips thinned down into a hardly visible line. "I mean, I hardly see her these days."

Permy's eyes fell down to the floor, in thought, before she replied, "Now you mention it . . . you're right. I've hardly seen her either!"

Hotaru, even though her face was masked completely with an expressionless unworried look, inside she felt her insides churning. Unconsciously, her fists were balling up beside her on the couch . . . Hotaru had a really, _really _bad feeling about tonight.

**0**

"Come on—this way," Natsume declared, as he turned back his head slightly, grabbed a hold of Mikan's hand, and lead the direction to the famous Ueno Kouen. Mikan couldn't help smile, and laugh as together they ran hand in hand towards the entrance of the park. Mikan thought, as they ran, how bloody strong Natsume must be, as he was carrying a guitar on his back, but he somehow still managed to run faster than her. Maybe, she thought sheepishly, she's just incredibly weak and slow.

Having lied to her friends she was going to the gym, Mikan was currently in a pair of sweatpants right now, and a simple tank top, which hugged her body. Her hair was tied up into a sloppy bun and once they reached the entrance, she pulled the elastic out, and let her hair fall down in place. And that's when she looked up.

"Oh my God." She gasped, absolutely amazed. In front of her, in the park, there were rows and rows of beautiful cherry blossom trees all lined up, all blowing peacefully in the wind. Many people were gathered there; there were food stalls everywhere too, selling yakisoba, takoyaki . . . and many, many more festival foods. Lights were hanging up from the trees—lighted up ever so magically. "They're . . . I mean, everything . . . it's so beautiful."

"Park's pretty famous for it's Sakura trees at around Easter. And the festival here too. It would have been better if we came in late March, but this year unlike usual the trees are lasting longer." Natsume explained, as a small smile crept on his face, when he looked down and saw her big hazel eyes gazing at the trees. He held onto her hand tightly and added, "Instead of gawking at them from here, let's go _in _the park, no?"

Mikan looked up at him her eyes brimming with excitement as she asked, "Can we please go get some of those Sakura Mochi's?" she pointed to the direction of the stall selling them. "And how did you know I love Sakura trees?"

Natsume shrugged, "A girl who constantly whines that Tokyo doesn't have enough nature and your surname. Go figure."

Mikan laughed, before she pulled Natsume into the park with her, "Come on, come on!" she trilled as she laughed. "So little time, so much to do!"

**0**

After having a portion of takoyaki to share and a piece of the famous sakura mochi, Mikan was sitting under a Sakura tree, Natsume beside her, looking up at the cherry blossoms. Every time one fell close by her, Mikan picked it up, and admired its heart like shape and pale pink colour. "This tree is my favourite tree." She announced, as she threw a handful of cherry blossom petals at Natsume, laughing as she watched them twirl down onto his hair.

He simply shook off the petals, before he asked, "Why?"

"Because it's beautiful."

Natsume snorted, "They're all exactly the same, Mikan."

Mikan turned to look at him. "Hey!" she exclaimed. "You called me Mikan!" with that, she rested her head on his torso, a smile playing on her face. "You know it's strange how I get excited when you call me by my name—I mean, everybody does! But . . ." she shrugged chuckling to herself a bit, "I don't know. It's special when you say it!"

Natsume grinned, looking rather pleased with the statement before he answered, "Maybe you like my ridiculously raspy voice."

Mikan responded, "You're _way _too full of it, Natsume. And besides, your ridiculously raspy voice is thanks to your horrible habit of smoking—"

"Oi, you know I'm trying to cut down, hopefully quit. So don't remind me of it."

"Oh!" Mikan squealed, as she shut her mouth shut. Then she smiled and said, "I didn't know you were actually _trying! _I thought you were kidding when you said that before! Thank you, Natsume!"

"Why you thanking me? I'm not doing it for you, stupid. God Polka, _you're_ waytoo full of it." He smirked at her, as Mikan raised one eyebrow at him, her eyes twinkling with both irritation and amusement. He put an arm around her and squeezed her tightly after that, with a stoic look on his face. But one could tell he looked enormously impressed with himself. Natsume knew how much Mikan couldn't stand the smell, and even remembered her telling him about her Uncle who smoked like a chimney, and she would hate it whenever she had to kiss him on the cheek because he stank so bad.

If he ever wanted a kiss from her, he knew then and there he had to quit—or at least cut down. It was easier than he expected—cravings came and left, but at night sometimes, when deep thoughts haunted him, he couldn't help but get a fag out and smoke. It was ironic; after the fire three years ago, he should have been scared of fire, _hated _it, but instead, he had a weird fascination for it. Maybe that was one of the reasons why he started to smoke. He never knew, he couldn't even pin-point _when _he started.

"Hey Natsume?"

"Mm?"

"What are we?" He looked down at her; his eyebrows furrowed, and saw her big hazel eyes waiting for his crimson eyes to meet hers. "What are _we?_" she repeated, a bit louder.

He couldn't tell if she was trying to be all philosophical by saying that (in the sense: what are we humans doing on the earth—dun dun duun!) or if she was talking about them, their relationship, on what they were. But he could guess she was talking about the later option—and honestly, he didn't know the answer himself. It wasn't like he asked her out, but it seemed like she was his girlfriend anyway, even if he didn't do things he normally did with his usual past girlfriends—which he was _glad_ about_. _His past girlfriends . . . all they did was physical (LittleMissGiggle: HAHAH. Sorry. So immature.) stuff. But with Mikan . . . he actually spoke to her, _enjoyed _her company and even hoped it would be like this forever.

He smirked, "We're just two crazy teenagers about to busk of course." And with that, Natsume stood up, pulling Mikan up with him. Picking up his guitar, he said, "Get the music out, Polka." to the very startled looking Mikan. She blinked, before she smiled, and pulled out two pieces of crumpled paper from her pocket.

"There!" she said, as she handed him the paper holding all the chords of her song.

He took it from her, and scanned it quickly. Then, he sat back down, with the guitar in his lap, and the music sheets spread out in front of him under the Sakura tree. "It'll be easier for me if I'm sitting down, so I can see the music."

Mikan nodded, as she dusted her sweatpants around her butt, before she looked back down at him. "I don't have microphone!"

"That's the beauty of busking." Natsume answered. "You know the lyrics?"

For some reason, Mikan's face glowed a bit pink, before she turned away from him. "Y-Yeah." She answered, sounding a bit flushed. "Ready when you are, Natsume."

Immediately, as soon as Natsume started to strum the chords she had written down, people all around them, turned their heads curiously in their direction. "Busk!" somebody excitedly announced, and like a chain reaction, people started to gather around them. Not many of them though, only twenty or so, and Mikan was used to singing to bigger crowds. But she was feeling nervous anyway. Because of her honest, honest lyrics . . . about Natsume.

_Fall to Pieces_

_Cover by _**JordanMcCoyTV **_on Youtube_

/watch?v=OJjp-ptQ0zo  
_Originally and rightfully belongs to Avril Lavigne_

I looked away  
then I looked back at you,  
You tried to say  
the things that you can't undo,  
If I had my way  
I'd never get over you,  
Today's the day  
I pray that we make it through.

Make it through the fall,  
Make it through it all.

And I don't wanna fall to pieces  
I just wanna sit and stare at you.  
I don't wanna talk about it  
And I don't want a conversation  
I just wanna cry in front of you.  
I don't wanna talk about it

'Cause I'm in love with you.

People were swaying and clapping along to the beat of the music (one girl, who was wearing big Gucci sunglasses, was _filming_ the busk, with a rather malicious smile on her face), which abruptly stopped when Mikan said the last line in the chorus. Gingerly, Mikan looked back, knowing that Natsume had probably paused because she had just said the L word. She expected the worst when she looked back but she was surprised to see him first looking as shocked as hell (well yeah), but then, a smile crept on his face and he continued to play the chords. And honestly, after that, she couldn't stop smiling. If there was a word to describe her it would along the lines of ecstatic, jubilant, triumphant and . . . floaty. Floaty with happiness!

Telling somebody you love them (even though in her case, it was indirect) is harder than it seems.

You're the only one  
I'd be with till the end.  
When I come undone  
you bring me back again.  
Back under the stars,  
Back into your arms.

And I don't wanna fall to pieces  
I just wanna sit and stare at you.  
I don't wanna talk about it  
And I don't want a conversation  
I just wanna cry in front of you  
I don't wanna talk about it

'Cause I'm in love with you.

I'm in love you with

I'm love with you

I'm in love . . . with you.

Natsume had never seen anything so beautiful. When he finished the last chord and looked up at Mikan, and saw her brightly smiling down at him, call it impulse, but that was when he knew he had to kiss her. He blinked, before he put the guitar down beside him and stood up. Mikan was furrowing her eyebrows rather in a confused manner but squeaked in surprise when Natsume had hugged her all of a sudden. "Natsume—" before she could finish her sentence, Natsume kissed her.

Mikan had never expected to receive a kiss from him after her song, and so her eyes were wide open for the first four seconds. When he pulled away, she looked up into his eyes, saw the way he was looking at her, in such a gentle manner . . . she smiled and kissed him back. The crowd was all cheering in favour of the couple, commenting on them, such as, "They're _soo _cute! I wish my boyfriend and I would do that! . . . Wait I don't even have a boyfriend!"

Natsume suddenly stopped kissing her, and looked down at her, "That song _was _written about me, right?"

Mikan laughed, "Of course, dumbass!"

"Just checking." He replied, before he smiled and continued to gently kiss her.

**0**

Luna Koizumi wasn't just your typical skank. Skanks were usually girls who threw themselves at boys; girls with no self-respect at all. But Luna Koizumi wasn't _exactly _one of them. She may have no self-respect, but she was _smart_, clever, manipulative. Bitchy. Not to mention all the gossip in Tokyo—well the _important _gossip, reached her ears somehow—she was, what she called _'connected'_. Or she was just an avid reader of Tokyo's _Gossip Girl_ Blog. Especially when it had to do with her ex-boyfriend, Natsume Hyuuga. Any gossip to do with him was generally heard by Luna Koizumi. It wasn't like she _loved _him . . . she just thought they looked good together and believed that the hottest guy in the school should obviously date the hottest girl at school . . . She brushed her blonde hair as she looked at herself in the mirror, "_I'm _the hottest girl in the Alice Academy." There was no self-doubt as she inspected her beautiful reflection; just like the way the Wicked Queen did in Snow White.

Her iPhone, which was on her table suddenly buzzed, and she made her way towards it, picking it up. One New Message . . . her blue eyes narrowed as she read it, and again.

"What . . . the hell." She hissed, her voice low and raspy, under her breath. Her clutch on her iPhone tightened, and then on impulse she shrieked and threw her phone down onto her bed. She was breathing heavily, her nose flaring and her blue eyes filled to the brim with rage. Her phone, on the bed, still faced upwards, the message clear . . .

**-:-:-:-:-:-**

Spotted: Crimson Abyss' yummy lead singer **NH** and beautiful brunette singer in _Ueno Kouen_ busking. We know who _he _is, who is she? A new girlfriend? Someone from the Alice Academy? Either way, sorry fans but it looks like the lead singer of Crimson Abyss has hearts dancing in his eyes. Not to mention after their busk they shared a sweet, sweet kiss. Check out the video of them busking (and snogging) that I posted up on Youtube. Link's at the bottom bitches! You'll heart it . . . unless you're **LK**. Hah.

You know you love me  
xoxo  
Gossip Girl

Link: .com/watch4567890239876543456789

**-:-:-:-:-:-**

_(LittleMissGiggle: This link is fake by the way, for all of you who didn't clock it.)_

Immediately, after she had calmed down a bit, Luna Koizumi rushed to her Mac, and swiftly and quickly moved the mouse to get the screen back to life. Rapidly, she went onto Gossip Girl's site, and clicked the link, which directed her to a Youtube video. Her mouth opened in horror as she saw . . . _Mikan Sakura_. With Natsume Hyuuga. Luna winced at her voice, knowing deep inside that Mikan had a good voice but as if she could admit that. She couldn't stand it anymore and refused to see the 'sweet, sweet kiss', and with that, she quickly closed down the Internet . . . and shrieked again.

"This can not be happening!" she cried, as she clutched her hair in frustration and anger. She had never heard of any whisper that they were going out—fine, she had heard that they were once seen together but she merely though Natsume was trying to kill time! Was their relationship kept a secret? Who knew about it? . . . But then, she lifted her face, whilst a plan was whizzing in her head. She could do anything; she was Luna Koizumi, the hottest girl in the Alice Academy.

A malicious smile lit upon her face. It came to her, the memory of her and Sumire, when they were still friends. "I don't read Gossip Girl," Sumire had stated, a snort evident in her voice, "it's just for lame people who have nothing to do in their sad lives but read other people's gossip." Now that Luna thought of it, it might have only be her that read Gossip Girl in her year . . . meaning that she was probably the first person who had seen this. And now she thought of it, she knew Sumire would still hate Natsume for what he did to her.

. . . What _if_ Sumire didn't know about this Natsume-Mikan get together? Now she thought about it, this possibility was totally possible.

Opening her email account, she pressed _New Message._

To: Sumire Shouda  
From: Luna Koizumi

Thought you might want to check this out.  
.com/watch45678902398765434567890

And with that, she sent the message. "Ooh, Luna Koizumi you are _bad._" She laughed to herself. "The cat is out of the bag."

**0**

_Hotaru,_

_That sister of mine! I call her—and she tells me, 'Oh everything's fine!' blah blah blah! Fine my ass! If you think you have no effect on her, you should hear her with _me. _Even _worse _I tell you. It's like I'm speaking to a brick wall! Please tell me she has told her friends in your next email! I hope for good news!_

_Ryo_

_P.S. Your parents told me to tell you to turn your phone on, and unblock your brother off your email, as they have no other way to get to you. And also for you to get tickets for them for the Fifth Round. _

**0**

**End of Chapter Twenty Two**

**0**


	26. That's When I Look At You

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Alice Gakuen, although it would be so wicked to go to a school like that, no?

**0**

**My Happy Ending  
**_**by Little Miss Giggle**_

**0**

**Chapter Twenty Three: That's When I Look At You**

**0**

_I don't need no superman, with special powers and a fake tan,  
to try and save the day for me.  
Why can't he just let me be?_

**0**

Mikan couldn't help the dreamy smile that played on her lips as she walked down her corridor, almost in a floating manner. She hummed to herself an unfamiliar tune, as she dug her hand around her sweat pants' pocket for her keys, and almost immediately, she fished them out and plunged them into the keyhole. The door clicked open and as she climbed into her dorm room, she happily called out, "Hey guys! I'm back!"

There was an eerie silence in reply.

Mikan furrowed her eyebrow, before she dismissively shrugged the feeling off as she slipped her shoes off; her friends probably went for dinner or something—

"Woah!" Mikan squeaked, as she walked into the living room, only to see all her friends present there, all sitting rather stonily on the couch. "You guys scared me!" she exclaimed, laughing slightly. She was mildly surprised when none of her friends looked up to her, expect for Hotaru who had a devastated expression on her face. Mikan let an awkward silence pass before she continued, "You should have said something before; I thought you guys all went out or something—"

Suddenly, Permy outstretched her bony arms to the coffee table, where the laptop was sitting, and simply clicked the keypad. Mikan's eyes widened as a familiar tune started to fill the room from the laptop—no, it can't be—

"How was the _gym_, Mikan?" Permy scathingly asked, as she finally looked up at her, her green eyes flaming with rage and disgust. "Was it fun? Mm, but tell us," she wrenched the laptop in her lap, "did you sing this song before or _after _you ran on the treadmill, huh?" Dread suffocated Mikan when Permy turned the screen of the laptop towards to Mikan . . . there on the screen was _her_ and Natsume on Youtube. Busking.

Questions such as _how _and _what the fuck _run through Mikan's mind before she realised what this all meant. The cat was out of the bag. Rather breathlessly, Mikan desperately made her way to her friends, "Permy, I can expl—"

"Don't you _dare _Sakura, call me Permy. And I don't think I _want _a explanation why you wrote a fucking love song to Hyuuga or why you snogged him." She viciously snapped, as she glared at Mikan's current quivering face. "You _disgust _me." With that, Permy dropped the laptop onto the couch, stood up, pushed past Mikan, and in few seconds there was a loud slam on the door, which signalled her leaving.

Mikan felt as if the whole room was spinning; she had to clutch the side of the couch tightly to balance herself. She couldn't comprehend what had just happened, she couldn't believe it. This had to be a bad dream . . . white dots were appearing in her vision; she felt as if she was going to vomit—

"How could you do that her, Mikan?" Anna's quietly demanded, her blue eyes still firmly on the floor. "How could you do that to her _and _Aoi? . . ."

"G-Guys," Mikan stuttered, turning around to face them, genuinely feeling sicker than ever, "I can explain—"

"And you told me that there isn't something I should know." Aoi interrupted, her voice was rather stuffy; it sounded like she had just cried. "I'm going to go find Permy." She announced, and Anna and Nonoko agreed with a quiet mumble of, "Me too." and before one could say anymore, the three girls had followed Permy out of the door, leaving her behind an eerie silence with her best friend.

Mikan twirled her head to Hotaru, tears now brimming in her eyes, "Ho-Hotaru—" she desperately called to her best friend but alas, she immediately shut up when Hotaru started to speak.

"There is no one," Hotaru started off rather calmly, yet Mikan could see the look of _disappointment _etched in her eyes—a cold look of disappointment that made Mikan feel unworthy. "_No one_ to blame but yourself, Mikan." Her voice was frosty as the Russian wind, and there was no trace of sympathy in her voice or eyes.

Mikan bit her lip, but that didn't stop a tear from rolling down her cheek—immediately, she wiped it off and sniffed. Her eyes were glassy with tears that were brimming to the edge, and her whole petite body was shaking. "I . . . I'm so sorry." Apologizing to no one in particular, she knew, didn't make anything better but even so she turned her back on her best friend and made her way out of the—_their _room. How long it would take for the girls to let her back in, she didn't know.

She knew what she had to do. She had to sort this all out—explain and tell her friends the truth. Hopelessness tickled her skin as she remember just how _big _her school was, but nevertheless she continued her way down the corridor, her mission being to find her friends; especially Permy and Aoi and to apologize to them. Not to mention tell them the _truth_, they deserved it.

_How could I have been so selfish? Naïve? So stupid?_

**0**

Mikan panted as she leaned on the cold wall—she had been searching for her friends for more than thirty minutes, and so far, she hadn't seen or heard a whisper from them or about them. Instead, she heard whispers about herself; it seemed like everybody had seen or heard about the Youtube video of her and Natsume busking together. Not to mention, sharing their first kiss. When she had asked a group of her classmates if they had seen either Aoi or Permy, all they did was look then smirk at her and chant, "Natsume and Mikan kissing _under_ a Sakura Tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" before they fell into hysterical laughter.

Everybody she saw threw her curious looks (well, some could be described as sniggers and others giggles) in the Academy and others actually even came up to her to ask her about her and Natsume. Obviously, she simply chose to ignore them, and carried on searching for her friends.

The Academy was too damn big, and who knows, for all Mikan knew her friends could currently be staying in a different room. She was exhausted—the pain in her lungs burned and her little feet were painful from all the spiriting up and down corridors. Letting her knees buckle, Mikan slid down slowly onto the wall, clutching her phone a bit too tightly in her hands. She had tried calling all of them, but conveniently all their phones had been switched off, but if she didn't know better, she would've guessed they chose to ignore her phone calls. Mikan tucked her knees in, and caged her arms around them, only to let her head fall between the gap.

And almost immediately she started to cry.

Hot tears of frustration and exhaustion slid down her cheeks. But nothing could compare the pure loathe and anger she felt for herself. She was disgusted by herself—by her actions she stupidly believed she could get away with. Confused and angry thoughts swirled her mind as she cried harder. _It's hopeless . . . I wish I could go back in time and change it all. Change it all. _She lifted her head up, as she wiped the wet tears on her face.

No, she didn't want to change it all, she managed to hazily decide. She didn't want to change her and Natsume's relationship—she wanted to keep Natsume; she loved him.

And at this point, she needed him.

She was sobbing was when she felt her phone suddenly vibrate. Thinking it might be one of her friend's, and quickly brought the phone to her face whilst she wiped her tears with her other hand, in order restore her vision.

It was Natsume.

She pressed the 'Answer' key, and put the phone to her ear.

"_Hey, you got home okay?" _

Just hearing his voice made her silently cry even harder; tears now clouded her vision and poured out of her hazel eyes. Nevertheless, she gulped in a deep breath and managed to sniffle back a reply of, "Yeah, thanks."

She could almost _see _the furrow of his eyebrows when he then demanded, "_What's wrong?"_

"N-Nothing." She hiccupped, as she now furiously wiped her eyes. It was not like her to cry; she hadn't cried like this . . . ever since her dog, Snoogly, died a few years back.

"_Mikan,_" his firm voice called her name which made her hitch her breath, _"what's wrong?" _he asked again in a much less demanding tone. This time his voice was comforting and gentle. The fact that someone was being so _nice _to her, even when she had just realised she had just done something terrible made her cry. She felt as if she didn't deserve this kindness Natsume was offering to her.

"Natsume . . . I-I'm a terrible person." She wept, while she covered one of her closed eyes with her small hands.

"_Where are you?_"

"Can I meet you?" she whimpered into the phone.

"_Where are you? I'll come get you. Where are you?_"

After Mikan had snivelled exactly where she was, he hung up on her. She looked down at her phone, and with the hem of her teeshirt, she rubbed her phone because it was damp with her tears. Her eyes felt swollen from crying so much; her stomach felt like an abyss while her heart felt as if it had been ripped out of her. Even if it hurt, the tears just wouldn't stop. It continued to flow—she wondered for a brief moment whether one could drown in their tears.

Mikan suddenly heard quick steps shuffle towards her and gingerly raised her head, which only resulted in her eyes glazing with tears again. Natsume had come for her, and by the way he was panting she was almost certain he had run his way here.

He had come for her. _He came for me. _

Before she could open her mouth, Natsume was crouching beside her his hands to her face, wiping her tears rather vehemently off her cheeks. She peered into his eyes, a saw many emotions swirling in his crimson irises. Then, his hands moved its way up into her, and he stroked her hair briefly while stating, "Come on, I'll take you back to my room. We can talk there."

Mikan nodded, and then felt herself being supported back up to her feet—and she was glad he was there to catch her when she fell; her legs were uncontrollably shaking so much.

_He came for me. _

**0**

Natsume firmly directed the way back to his dorm in an non-oral way; simply by holding onto Mikan's shoulders and turning left or right when necessary, never letting go of her. But it was on the floor his room was situated on that Natsume had found out about everything, even when Mikan hadn't yet mentioned anything about the whole fiasco. It was thanks to a group of boys.

First, when they saw the two, the boys merely glanced at them, but then their eyes seemed to twinkle as they registered _who _it was and immediately all six of the boys started to whoop and cheer. "So," the boldest looking boy whistled, "It's true then, eh? Good find, Hyuuga!"

Natsume who had been walking at a rather fast pace came into an abrupt halt after the boy had spoken. "What?" he asked as he whipped his head behind, his crimson eyes suspiciously narrowed. All Mikan could do was sniffle and look away—she didn't want a repeat of _this_ again_._

There was a moment of silence, but then one of the boys nudged the bolder boy, who now stuttered back rather meekly, "Y-You know, Hyuuga . . . Youtube? Of you two in Ueno Kouen? G-Gossip Girl? M-Making out . . . ?" Mikan shut her eyes—she didn't want to hear this again; that kiss was supposed to be between her and Natsume only—how was it special when the whole goddamn Academy knew about it? "It like," the boy's voice was now dry as he finished off, "has quite a lot of views on Youtube. A video of you two in Ueno Kouen taken by Gossip Girl."

Mikan could hear Natsume brain whizzing above her and then, she felt his clutch on her tighten—"That _bitch._" He dangerously growled between his gritted teeth, and before the six boys could do anything (which included running the hell away from the murderous looking Natsume Hyuuga), Natsume had sharply turned back around down the corridor. Mikan sobbed once more, but then she felt a warm presence beside her cheek, and she glanced left only to see Natsume leaning his head down beside her, whispering gently into her ear, "Is this is what this is about? Your friends found out?"

When Mikan nodded, Natsume pulled Mikan closer to his torso and even in this situation Mikan couldn't help think how _warm _he was. At the same time, Natsume had fished out both his phone and room key with his free hand from his pocket and in a matter of seconds the door to Natsume's room has clicked open.

Mikan had only taken one shaky step into the room when—"NATSUME! YOU AND YOUR WIFE ARE ON TOKYO GOSSIP GIRL—!"—Koko had came frantically wailing like a siren towards them from the living room, his arms thrashing about everywhere. This obviously caused Mikan to squeak with surprise, which had a similar effect on Koko, as _he _was surprised to see Mikan in their room, and so in result _he _also squeaked.

"I know, I'm on it." was Natsume's rather calm answer, but both Mikan and Koko could detect the fury and irritation etched in voice as he closed the door behind him. He then flipped his phone open before he looked back at Mikan and said, "Make yourself at home, I'm just going to call somebody who can probably remove the goddamn video . . ." with that, he put his phone to his ear and moved away to his bedroom but not before giving Mikan a reassuring squeeze on her shoulder. "Tobita? Yeah, yeah, it's me. Natsume—I need a word with Persona . . ." his voice was trailing away when Mikan turned back to the direction of Koko, who now had a rather sheepish smile plastered to his face.

"Sorry I scared the shit out of you," he apologized before he rather clumsily stuffed his fist into his pockets only to pull out a rather wrinkly tissue, which he then offered to Mikan, "here—sorry it's scruffy but I swear to you it's clean!"

Mikan smiled thankfully before she gratefully took it and wiped her eyes again with it. "I must look a mess. You know it's bad when somebody offers a tissue before you ask."

"Your eyes are just a bit red and puffy, but apart from that you're still pretty!" he exclaimed and Mikan laughed, unsure whether to take that as a compliment or an insult. "Ruka makes good drinks—I'm sure he can whip something up for you!"

"Sakura, come!" Mikan heard Ruka call from the living room only for it to be followed by a hello, which belonged to Kitsune-me. Koko lead her the way into the rather modern-looking kitchen and Mikan couldn't help but be impressed by it, it was much more impressive then hers—_Anna would love this kitchen_, she sadly thought.

"Sorry for it being messy—Koko was just finishing his dinner," Ruka explained, accusingly glancing at Koko who innocently smiled back. Mikan couldn't help but giggle when she saw the amount of tomato sauce that was spluttered on the kitchen table.

"Spaghetti's supposed to be slurped!" Koko defended himself as he made his way back to his seat.

Ruka sighed before she turned to Mikan, "Do you want some spaghetti? Kitsune-me made to much of it."

"I would love some," Mikan replied, unconsciously rubbing her stomach, "I'm actually starving."

Kitsune-me grinned, "Ha! I knew it! See, I boiled more spaghetti on _purpose_—I knew we were going to have a hungry unexpected guest tonight." He proudly exclaimed standing up rather heroically.

Koko snorted, "Yeah right! You just accidently spilt too much of the packet in! I heard you say, '_Oh shit!', _when you did!"

Kitsune-me threw Koko a glare and Mikan couldn't help but laugh but then she turned to Ruka and thanked him as he was now holding out a bowl of spaghetti pomodoro towards her. "The sauce might be a bit thin—too much of Kitsune-me's spaghetti, too little of tinned sauce."

She smiled, "Who am I to complain? Besides I'm so hungry there's no reason for me to not eat this!" She received the fork from Ruka and returned a thankful look before she added, "And it smells delicious!" She sat across Koko on the dining table and immediately started to devour it. After her first bite, she looked up to the waiting faces to announce, "It's good!"

Kitsune-me smiled and declared, "I like her!"

Mikan laughed before she continued to eat her spaghetti. When she had nearly done, Ruka had put a cup of coffee in front of her. She looked up at him, only to see his beautiful blue eyes curiously looking at her, a rather worried expression evident too. "Are you alright?" he finally asked, as he sat beside Mikan.

Mikan paused before she answered, "To say yes would be a lie."

"Is this about Gossip Girl?"

Mikan quizzically looked at all three of them, "What _is _Gossip Girl? Is it literally Gossip Girl?" Mikan gasped, "She exists?"

Kitsune-me scoffed, "She's just some stupid person who obviously has no life. She came into light after the TV series Gossip Girl aired for a few weeks. We bet she just got interested and inspired by it, so she decided to make her own Gossip Girl blog, but set and made for the gossip in Tokyo. It's stupid." He explained with an irritated tone.

"For all we know that _she _could be a _he._" Ruka darkly muttered, his blue eyes narrowing.

"Not a big fan?" Mikan guessed, judging by the way the two boys had spoken about her.

"Personally I kinda like her—I even admit I sometimes _read _her blog!_" _Koko confessed as he laughed, which made the three of them join in, "But she or he is a right pain in the arse when she's writing about _you._ She's mentioned our band a couple of times and have mentioned us individuals quite a lot." His nose crinkled as he mentioned, "Not good things about us, either."

Kitsune-me growled before he said, "The bitch to a bloody _photo _of me buying a cupcake with pink icing and sprinkles. The caption? _Anybody looking for a gay BFF?_" He scoffed once more, rather viciously, "I mean that bitch didn't even call me _hot _or anything! Just gay! For buying a pink cupcake!"

Mikan scrunched her face before commenting, "Sounds more like a stalker than a blogger to me."

"Exactly!" Kitsune-me agreed. "Invasion of privacy! Loads of people have complained, saying she'd ruined their lives."

"Well I wouldn't go as far as saying she's ruined my life, but she's certainly made it difficult." Mikan quietly said, as she took a sip from a coffee. There was a pause, but then Ruka questioned, "Your friends find out about it then? About . . . you and Natsume's relationship?"

At first it felt weird to hear someone else call what she and Natsume had between them a relationship—but Mikan figured she'd had to get used to it sooner or later now that the whole of the Gossip Girl reading world knew about it. Stiffly, she nodded in reply but not before she took another sip of her coffee.

Koko furrowed his eyebrows, "But I thought they would be, y'know, alright with it! I mean, they all seemed to be okay with Natsume thanks to the bowling."

"Yeah, they did all start to think he had some what changed . . ." Mikan admitted, "it's not only that—Permy's his ex-girlfriend and Aoi is his little sister. But I think the biggest mistake I made was not _telling _them."

"But I swear you did!" Ruka exclaimed. "Natsume told me you told your best friend—"

"I did tell Hotaru. But only Hotaru—and now even she's disappointed with me. S-She," Mikan thickly swallowed as she recalled the cold and dismayed look that Hotaru had given her, "actually advised to me that I should tell all my other friends the truth as soon as possible. But I didn't listen and for that I'm scum. I'm an idiot." By the end of her explanation, Mikan felt tears sting the corners of her eyes.

"Don't worry," Ruka reassured her as he now passed a box of chocolate towards Mikan. "In life there are some terrible days but there are also some great days. That's basically a definition of life. When things are bad, it can only get better."

Kitsune-me grimaced, "Trust us, we would know. We've had some pretty . . ." he shuddered, "scary bad days . . . but we're here now. Alive, at any rate." The last comment caused them to all snigger humorously.

Suddenly, a pair of warm hands had clamped itself onto Mikan's shoulder; she looked only to lock into a gaze with Natsume's crimson eyes. "You're in my seat, Polka."

Mikan blinked before she 'Oh'-ed and stood up from the chair—"I'm sorry!"

Natsume raised an eyebrow at her and then he proceeded by sitting down on his chair but then clutching onto Mikan's waist only to pull her down on his lap, which caused her to squeak—but then she blinked and looked at him and laughed. Natsume's friends all watched with _awe _when Natsume actually _smiled_ back at Mikan and protectively clasped his arms around her waist as she sat on his lap.

Ruka blinked thrice—which pulled him out of his awestruck trance—before he cleared his throat and asked, "What happened? Did you manage to sort it out?"

Natsume nodded before he answered, "I spoke to _him. _He's getting the video deleted off Youtube and says if he's lucky he'll track this bloody gossiper down and sue her."

Mikan gaped. "You can do that?" she asked, turned her head around to look at Natsume, with her hazel eyes wide open.

"When you're a rich music producer you can do anything." Natsume darkly clarified as he glanced at his friends. He then stretched his hand out and took a hold of Mikan's coffee and drained it all down—"Hey! That's mine!" Mikan laughed, as she pouted—and proceeded by concluding, "At any rate though, they video will definitely be off the Internet by tonight." This statement was directed to Mikan who blinked, finally realising what Natsume had just done for her.

_You came for me. You helped me. _

Mikan gently smiled, and then put her hand on top of Natsume's which were knotted around her waist. Softly, she stroked his hands with the pads of her fingers before she said, "Thank you so much." Their gazes met for a few seconds before Mikan looked up to the (gaping, shocked) others, smiled at them and thanked them too.

"Don't you dare start crying in happiness or something." Natsume warned as he looked down at Mikan with one eyebrow raised.

Mikan's whose eyes _were _in fact glazed barked back, "I-I wasn't going to!"

"Yes you were."

"No I wasn't!"

"Movie?"

"Oooh yes!" Mikan squealed before she frowned, "But nothing scary, right? What about a chick flick?"

Natsume snorted, "You really think we would have chick flicks?"

"I'm taking that as a no."

Ruka, Koko and Kitsune-me couldn't help but gape at the scene unfolding in front of them. Was this for real? Natsume—cuddling? Offering to watch a movie with a girl? Taking a sip out of her coffee like a married couple? Most importantly . . . calling _Persona_? The boys all knew too well how much Natsume _despised_ Persona's tyrant like powers just because he had the money. Gossip Girl had written very terrible (and usually untrue) scandals about them before, but Natsume had never been bothered about it, let alone bothered to call Persona to fix the matter . . . but he did for _Mikan Sakura_? The boys all knew he was being much more open to Mikan (not to mention _honest_) and the way he treated her was nothing like the way he treated his previous four girlfriends.

This was different, totally different.

_. . . Did he . . . love her? _

Ruka scoffed in amusement at his thought—no preposterous, his best friend in _love?_ . . . but then his eyes fell back on the two—at Natsume especially and his expression—and realised that love could be a very high possibility.

**0**

**When I Look At You  
**_**Tiffany Alvord**_

"No, come on! I'm being serious, I'll sleep on the sofa—"

"There is no way I'm letting you sleep on the sofa." Natsume firmly interrupted.

Mikan whirled her head around the others to gain their support, but they all seemed to siding on Natsume as they added, "Go on, Sakura sleep in his bed!"

_Everybody needs inspiration,  
Everybody needs a soul  
A beautiful melody  
When the nights so long_

Mikan shook her head before she looked back at Natsume and murmured, "You've already done so much for me—you found me and brought me here; you got that video deleted; you made me a hot chocolate;" Mikan was counting each favour he did for her on her fingers, "you watched a movie you dislike with me; you lent me a big teeshirt for pajamas; you gave me a spare toothbrush and _now _you're offering your bed to me?" She glanced down at her fingers, "Natsume, that's six things you've done for me, and I'm not going to make it seven!" she exclaimed as she now wagged all standing fingers in Natsume's face rather childishly as she giggled.

_Cause there is no guarantee  
That this life is easy..._

"Well guess what, _I'm _going to make it seven." He smirked before he urged, "Come on." He then held out his hand to her and said the three nostalgic words, "Take my hand." before he smirked.

Mikan sighed, "You're so stubborn."

"So are you."

_Yeah when my world is falling apart  
When there's no light to break up the dark  
That's when I, I...  
I look at you_

Mikan snapped her hazel eyes in his direction rather sharply but then her glare melted away and the corners of her lips tugged up into a smile. She took a hold of his hand before she turned around to the other three, thanked them again and wished them a good night.

"Good night!" they chorused back—Koko even waved.

Natsume lead her to his bedroom, and Mikan couldn't help but admiringly whistle at it when she stepped it—it was huge. And the bed looked like pure heaven to Mikan; a kind sized bed with fluffy pillows.

_When the waves  
Are flooding the shore and I can't  
Find my way home anymore  
That's when I, I...  
I look at you_

"You can sleep on the bed—I'll sleep on the floor."

Mikan blinked, "Sleep on the floor? What—"

"On a futon, idiot."

"Oh!" Mikan laughed at her misunderstanding before she shook her head and responded, "Thanks, Natsume, but I'll take the floor. Seriously."

"I sleep on that bed everyday. One day without it won't kill me." And with that, Natsume literally picker her up and carried Mikan over his shoulder's, like a potato sack—all while Mikan was in fits of shrieks and laughter—and dumped her on the bed, where she bounced. "Just sleep on the bed."

_When I look at you I see forgiveness  
I see the truth  
You love me for who I am  
Like the stars hold the moon  
Right there where they belong  
And I know I'm not slone._

Mikan stuck her tongue at him as he turned around to face the top shelf of his wardrobe, but nevertheless got herself comfortable—she fluffed the pillows and nestled herself snugly in the covers. In a matter of seconds Natsume had come to the bedside and laid out the futon. Mikan watched him do so, wondering if he'd have to go to bed immediately—she always felt most lonely at night—

As if reading her mind, instead of lying down on his futon Natsume sat down on the bed beside Mikan. She was even more surprised when he started to gently stroke her hair. "Tomorrow it'll cause more drama if people see you come out of this room so I'll wake you up early so you can sneak back into your room." He said, in a rather low soothing voice.

_Yeah when my world is falling apart  
When there's no light to break up the dark  
That's when I, I...  
I look at you_

Mikan paused before she nodded. Natsume glanced down at her and observed that a sad look had now crossed her face. Before he could ask her what was on her mind, she said, "How can you be so nice to me, Natsume? I'm such a horrible person."

He didn't reply for a while, but he continued the stroking of the hair. After a few moments passed he answered, "You're not."

"I've been lying to all my friends. I didn't _listen _to my best friend. Or my brother for that matter."

_When the waves  
Are flooding the shore and I can't  
Find my way home anymore  
That's when I, I...  
I look at you_

"People learn from their mistakes, Mikan." He gently explained, sighing slightly. "In life there are terrible days. But then again there are great days; it's the cycle of it all."

Mikan looks up at him, recalling that Ruka had told her almost an identical explanation. But pushing the thought aside, she pondered a bit about the expression before she concluded, "That's not fair though."

"Why?"

"Because . . . today wasn't all terrible. I would say today was a great day." Mikan shifted so she could get a better position to look at Natsume. "Natsume, you made my day so great today—at Ueno Kouen, helping me out; _everything_ . . . I-I don't think you understand how . . ." her words were getting slurry—he smiled; seeing Mikan sleepy was as good as seeing her laugh—". . . grateful I am." Mikan felt a soft kiss on her forehead as she yawned, and before she knew it she was tumbling down a dreamless swirl of sleep, with Natsume Hyuuga still caressing her hair.

_You appear just like a dream to me  
Just like kaleidoscope colors that  
Cover me, all I need every  
Breath that I breathe don't you know  
You're beautiful..._

_When the waves  
Are flooding the shore and I can't  
Find my way home anymore  
That's when I, I...  
I look at you  
I look at you_

_And you appear just like a dream  
to me._

_You came for me. You helped me. But you broke my heart nevertheless._

**0**

When Natsume first woke up Mikan at 6.15am, all she could do was whine and tell him to go away and come back in five minutes—but by 6.40am, Mikan had brushed her teeth, gotten changed, kissed Natsume and was on her way back to her room. She expected the worse when she entered her room—she knew it'd go either way: either they'll all ignore her or they'll all be rude about her when she's _there. _Honestly, she didn't know which would be worse, but as she drew closer and closer to her room, the harder she found it to breath; her heart felt like it was being internally squished by a long jagged nails.

Almost silently, Mikan had closed and opened the door behind her. She slipped into the room, and was just about to head in the direction of the kitchen when she saw movement from the living room—someone had just stood up from the couch. Mikan squinted before she gasped as she saw the familiar figure walking towards her, "Hotaru—"

"I'm sorry, Mikan." Hotaru interrupted her, which immediately caused Mikan not only to shut up but also to look at her best friend in surprise (she _never _apologises!). Mikan also took into account that Hotaru had purple bags under her amethyst eyes and looked extremely dishevelled for Hotaru Imai. "I shouldn't have said what I said yesterday. I think I was too harsh on you."

"No, Hotaru—"

"I'm sorry." She repeated, with a firm look in her amethyst eyes.

Mikan looked back into them, and suddenly felt her hazel eyes well up again before a burst of tears erupted—she put her hands to her eyes as she started to wail and in the midst of things, she could suddenly feel Hotaru's warm hands cup her back and pull her into a warm hug. "No Hotaru, don't apologize. I should be the one apologizing—I'm so stupid, this mess is all _my _fault. You and Ryo _both _told me to tell them all but I was so stupid, so stupid . . ."

Mikan heard Hotaru sigh before she softly declared, "No matter what Mikan, I will always be your best friend. _Always._"

Mikan couldn't help cry harder when she heard her best friend say those words to her. After years of knowing Hotaru Imai, not once had she ever said anything remotely close to what she had said on the 4th of April, 2008.

**0**

**End of Chapter Twenty Three**

**0**

**A/N: **The song, "When I Look At You" is originally by (dare I say her name?) Miley Cyrus, but for obivous reasons, I prefer the covers of that song.


	27. April Shower

**Disclaimer:** Disclaimed.

**0**

**My Happy Ending  
**_**by Little Miss Giggle**_

**0**

**Chapter Twenty ****Four****: April Shower**

**0**

_I don't need no superman, with special powers and a fake tan,  
to try and save the day for me.  
Why can't he just let me be?_

**0**

To say April 2008 was hell for Mikan would've been an understatement. She woke up every morning, did her usual daily routines but instead of having breakfast with the rest of dormmates, Mikan would slip out of her dorm to simply have breakfast down at the school canteen. Her friends (minus Hotaru) had been ignoring her ever since they discovered the Youtube video and the room was no longer filled with excitement and noise. Instead it was constantly eerily silent for Mikan. Even Aoi had stopped visiting their dorm—instead, _they _would be the ones to leave their own dorm to go to her's. Whenever Mikan tried to open her mouth to say something—_apologize_—to Permy, or any of her other friends for that matter, all she received was a cold shoulder.

In her classes with Aoi, to say it was excruciatingly painful was an understatement for her. Aoi constantly kept her attention on something other than Mikan—she had even moved places. Mikan was alone.

Mikan was also receiving unwanted attention from people in her school. Whenever they would see her, she could feel them all bore their eyes into her while they whispered. Gossip followed her like a shadow.

Honestly, Mikan would have probably _left _the school if it wasn't for her best friend and Natsume. Hotaru had declared in front of her friends and herself one evening in April, that she was being: "Neutral in this situation, but since Mikan's my best friend, I accept her flaws and hope you all won't be offended if I hang out with her." Anna and Nonoko only nodded in comprehension and at this announcement but Permy merely narrowed her eyes and snapped, "Do what you want. I don't care."

She couldn't be more thankful to Hotaru who ate with her in the canteen at lunch—even _with _her great dislike for canteen food. "What are friends for," Hotaru said, as she shrugged, taking a rather suspicious sniff at her sandwich when Mikan had thanked her for being there.

Natsume was there for Mikan just as much as her best friend was. Having the advantage of having no classes, Natsume was _always _waiting for Mikan outside Mr. Reo's classroom (much to Luna Koizumi's dismay) no matter what. Whenever Mikan stumbled out of the classroom, Natsume's presence always made her feel a lot better, especially when he protectively draped an arm around her and took her books with the other.

He had been doing this nearly everyday, ever since _that _day.

And that included the 18th of April, 2008. It was 1:00pm when the bell rung shrilly, signaling lunch. Mikan heaved a sigh glad that she had _survived _yet another lesson and turned to her left only to see Aoi quickly leave the room without giving Mikan a moment's glance. Mikan pressed her lips together—she didn't blame her.

"Aww . . . poor poor Mikan Sakura." Luna Koizumi tutted before she turned to look at all of her friends with an obvious fake frown on her face. But then, they all threw their heads back with a cackle of laughter and strutted their way out of Mr. Reo's classroom, all with a triumphant smile plastered on their faces, leaving Mikan in the classroom completely alone—well, except for Mr. Reo who was rather lazily sitting on his chair. Mikan let out yet another heavy sigh as she collected all of her pens and books together in one arm—however she failed to realize the amethyst eyes that belonged to Reo Mouri follow her—and squeaked in surprise when Mr. Reo suddenly barked, "Sakura."

She twirled around as she responded, "Y-Yes?"

Mr. Reo sighed as twirled a pen in his hand, "Just because I'm a teacher doesn't mean I'm stupid, right?"

Mikan furrowed her eyebrows, "Is that a trick question?" When Mr. Reo raised his eyebrows, Mikan felt her cheeks flush and immediately replied, "No, it doesn't mean you're stupid."

"Right." Mr. Reo nodded. "So don't think I don't know what's going on . . . all I want to say is, Sakura, I really think you have the potential to win the Music Competition."

Mikan's eyes widened, first in surprise then shock. She was initially surprised on _how _the conversation could go from him being _not _stupid to the Music Competition. And then shocked at to what he had just said. "M-Me? Win?" she repeatedly, her voice mirroring her clear shock.

Mr. Reo nodded before he commented, "Obviously you may think of me as biased as I am your teacher, but I am saying this with all honesty and even some other teachers agree with me. Of course, it would be a tough competition competing with the other's . . . especially your boyfriend's band."

Mikan felt her mouth dry, but nevertheless she managed to blurt out, "How—"

"As I said, just because I'm a teacher I'm not _stupid._" Again, Mikan could only go red in embarrassment. Reo Mouri had a way to make . . . one feel absolutely silly sometimes—he did this a lot, and his rather unbothered attitude didn't really help either. But one question swirled in Mikan's mind: what was he _actually _trying to say? As if reading her mind, Mr. Reo continued, "My point is, I think you might have a chance to _win. _Meaning a chance to get a record deal . . . which ultimately means you will become a _celebrity_." Mikan could only gape while he carried on with a rather relaxed attitude, "and being celebrity will mean that people will gossip about you, even if what they say is untrue."

Mikan finally realized what Mr. Reo's point was.

"Sakura, you have to learn sooner or later that people will _always _talk about you when you're a celebrity. If you're not prepared for that, you better start to get used to it now or simply just put an end to your 'Become-A-Singer' dream. You have to find a way to _deal _with the gossip—which means you have to learn to block out all the negative things said about you . . . do you understand?"

"Yes, I do Mr. Reo."

Mr. Reo nodded in a pleased manner, "Good. Now be sure to remember what I said. That's all."

Mikan nodded as she smiled at her teacher. "Thank you, Mr. Reo!" she said, as she started to make her way to the door. Mr. Reo only grumbled in reply as Mikan opened to closed door, only to see Natsume waiting outside for her, with a rather impatient look on his face.

"Sorry I'm late—"

"What was _he _doing?" Natsume interrupted, as his crimson eyes flickered in the direction of the door. "That teacher didn't do anything funny to you, did he?"

Mikan blinked before what he said _actually _processed in her brain and when it did, she immediately pulled a face. "Ew, Natsume! Honestly!"

Natsume took Mikan's pencil case and books from her arm as he put his other arm around her shoulder while he growled, "Then what took you so long?"

Mikan laughed at her jealous boyfriend. He was so cute! "He was just giving me words of advice, that's all."

Natsume looked down at her, one of his eyebrows raised in disbelief and Mikan could only roll her eyes and playfully point out, "Come on Natsume—_if_, and I say, _if _Mr. Reo and I _were _doing it, I'm sure it would last much longer than forty seconds!"

Natsume scowled, as he subconsciously tightened his grip on Mikan—"You really hit the nerve just then, Sakura."

"Oh really, Hyuuga?" Mikan giggled.

Natsume groaned before he saw the cheeky look etched on her face. He squeezed her and couldn't help the corners of his lips turn up at her cute reaction. "Let's go." He exclaimed, as he firmly steered her in the direction of the canteen, "I'm starved."

**0**

When Mikan and Natsume entered the canteen, as per usual, many heads swiveled in their direction, and many heads joined together to whisper. Natsume merely rolled the immaturity of the people in the Academy but nevertheless held Mikan tightly close to him because he knew how she wasn't still used to all this negative attention. Natsume on the other hand was used to people talking about him, being it about good things or _bad _things. Firmly, Natsume made his way to his friends—they had saved a table in the corner of the spacious canteen, which was thankfully away from the centre and everybody else. Also sitting with his friends, Natsume saw, was Mikan's best friend, Hotaru Imai.

"Hotaru!" Mikan happily called, as she waved at her best friend. Hotaru simply nodded her head in acknowledgement of her presence before she tapped the seat next to her, urging Mikan to come sit next to her. Comfortably, Mikan sat down in the empty seat next to Hotaru, while Natsume took the one next to Mikan and Kitsune-me.

Almost immediately Mikan began to talk animatedly to her best friend, and Natsume could only look at Mikan with a rather fond smile. He, himself then spoke to his friends for a few minutes before he turned around to tap Mikan on the shoulder. When she looked around, her big hazel eyes met Natsume's crimson eyes, and for a moment, Natsume felt incapable to talk. Smoothly, Natsume cleared his throat and coughed before he asked, "I'm going to go up to get some food. What do you want?"

Mikan bit her lip in thought as she subconsciously put her hand on top of Natsume's, which was resting on his thigh. Their fingers started to dance together as Mikan replied, "Hmm . . . maybe pasta? Macaroni and cheese if they have any—if not, spaghetti bolgnese!"

Natsume squeezed her hand before he stood up, nodding with comprehension. Mikan watched him walk away towards the food and only managed to look away when she heard a rather sharp _slap_ beside her. Her head whipped around, only to see Koko wail and clutch his hand. "Owch, Imai! That hurt—"

"Good. I've hoped you learned your lesson today." Hotaru narrowed hre eyes. "_Never _touch my pudding."

Kitsune-me laughed out loud before he commented, "That was a pretty fierce smack you gave there, Imai!" whilst he applauded.

Mikan snorted humourously, "Believe me, I've seen _worse._"

Ruka chuckled before he turned to both of the girls to ask, "So have you guys finished your pieces for the Fourth Round?"

Hotaru immediately nodded, as she took a sip of her water. Mikan momentarily thought before she answered Ruka's question. The Fourth Round. The date had _finally _been confirmed—7:00pm on the 1st of May. "I think so," Mikan replied, "I'm not too confident on it though—but I have another two weeks to perfect it, so I should be alright." Mikan thought about her song, and if on cue, her hazel eyes saw Permy _and _Aoi together, walking to the till of the canteen, both with bottles of fizzy drinks in their hands. Mikan momentarily felt her eyes water, and her breathing stop, but she managed to control herself and simply looked down at her lap. The theme of the song was a song about the truth—and if it was the truth the judges wanted, it was truth they were going to get. Unlike all her other songs which had been dedicated to Natsume Hyuuga, this song, was dedicated to her friends. Not about _them _in particular, but about . . . love. Love and its battling ways. "What about you guys?" Mikan questioned as she flickered her eyes between the three boys.

"We think we're done." Ruka answered, as he cut his carrot and pierced it with his fork.

Hotaru raised her eyebrow at Ruka, "Well you don't sound very confident about _that._" Ruka blinked rather surprised at her comment, but before he could reply, Hotaru asked, "What's your song about anyway?" Both Mikan and Hotaru didn't miss Ruka spare Koko and Kitsune-me rather worried glances before he cleared his throat and smiled, "Well, that's for us to know and for you two to find out on the 1st of May."

Before Hotaru could interrogate them anymore (like she hoped to), Mikan 'woah!'-ed in surprised when suddenly two plates appeared in front of her. She looked up, and then to her side, to see Natsume taking his seat next to her's, with a plate of pizza in front of him. Mikan furrowed her eyebrow before she said, "Natsume, you got me both macaroni and cheese _and _spaghetti Bolognese?"

Natsume who was now offering a slice of his pizza to Koko shrugged and turned to her and replied, "Are you complaining?"

"No, I'm not but—"

"Just eat it." Natsume interrupted, as he shrugged. "You're looking pale and underfed." He explained as he now offered her a slice of pizza. Mikan shook her head to turn down her offer, but she couldn't help the smile that played on her lip.

"_He really did care for her . . ."_

Koko whooped before he commented, "Honestly Natsume, you _are _practically her husband—getting her food and caring for her through sickness, health and whatever. Just propose to her already!"

Mikan laughed but couldn't help her cheeks go a bit pink at the remark, which then became red when the joke was continued by a rather blunt Hotaru who added, "Make sure it's a big diamong, Hyuuga."

Natsume smirked before he replied, "I'll get her the biggest diamond in the world."

The boys all cheered approvingly while Hotaru could only smile at Mikan's blushing face. She hated to admit it, but Mikan and Hyuuga were so . . . _cute_ together. This point developed further when she saw Hyuuga take Mikan's hand and curl his fingers around Mikan's small hands.

"Where do you plan to get married?" Kitsune-me asked, as he leaned his head on the palm on his hand, which was propped up with his elbow on the table.

Natsume glanced at Mikan and replied, "I think she'll like to get married somewhere like . . . Las Vegas?" They all snorted in sync at the statement because they all knew too well Mikan's hatred for neon-lit cities, including Tokyo itself.

Mikan rolled her eyes, "Very funny, Natsume."

Natsume grinned before he said, "In all honesty, I think she'll like to get married somewhere in a little chapel in the countryside."

"Ooh, maybe in the Italian countryside?" Mikan suggested, her eyes sparkling.

"Yeah, that could work." Natsume replied.

Hotaru watched with the two with affection—the two who were already discussing their _wedding_ venue. And honestly, she kind of could see the reason _why _Mikan risked her friendship—because honestly what the two had was beautiful. Really beautiful. She couldn't help whip her trusty camera out and snap a picture of the table—of them all, laughing and smiling.

Too bad that didn't last.

**0**

**Present day, 2010**

**0**

Hotaru heaved the heavy photo album labeled "2008" out of her shelf, and immediately plonked it down into the couch. She blew the dust off the cover before she carefully opened the photo album. Nostalgia swept through her body as she found pictures from Mikan's birthday two years ago; the Second Round; the Third Round; the girls all smiling in their room; Ryo and the girls at Denny's; Anna and Nonoko's party—she stopped at the page were it showed pictures of Mikan and Hyuuga holding hands with Hyuuga friends present around a lunch table in the canteen of the Academy. She recalled they were having lunch that day, and Hyuuga and Mikan were discussing wedding venues. Hotaru sighed, "He really did care for her . . ." as she turned the page to see pictures of the Fourth Round. Mikan looked beautiful in all the pictures . . . Hotaru couldn't help but close her eyes painfully in memory. It was after the Fourth Round everything had gone all wrong—everything just _crumbled _like a sandcastle by the sea. Reluctantly, Hotaru turned the page again to see pictures from the Fifth Round. Mikan looked like a different person to the girl in pictures on the page before. Skinnier, more gaunt looking, with heavy eye makeup and an excruciatingly sad, heartbroken look captured in her eyes.

"Why did you do that to her Hyuuga?" Hotaru quietly asked herself, as she flicked back a few pages to see the pictures of a happy Mikan and Natsume again. That was question that had been haunting her ever since May 2008.

**0**

**End of Chapter Twenty Four**

**0**


	28. The Fourth Round: Part I

**Disclaimer:** Hi guys! Alice Gakuen isn't mine! Oh and, well done for all who guessed Mikan's song for the Fourth Round correctly! NONE OF THE SONGS USED IN THIS CHAPTER, OR THIS FANFICTION, ARE MINE. I HEREBY OFFICIALLY DISCLAIM SONGS TOO!

**0**

**My Happy Ending  
**_**by Little Miss Giggle**_

**0**

**Chapter Twenty Five: The Fourth Round  
Part I: Forever And Always**

**0**

**Forever And Always, Taylor Swift  
(Piano Version)**

_Once upon a time I believe it was a Tuesday when I caught your eye_

_We caught onto something, I hold on to the night _

_You looked me in the eye and told me you loved me _

_Were you just kidding cause it seems to me _

_This thing is breaking down we almost never speak _

_I don't feel welcome anymore, baby what happened please tell me_

_Cause one second it was perfect and now you're half way out the door . . ._

**0**

Sure, Mikan always found the rounds of the Music Competition rather nerve-wracking. She would probably never in her life forget the First Round, and the feeling of anxiety she felt when she first went up to perform. But right now, on first eve of May, Mikan was _more _than certain she was feeling even more nauseous than she did way back last year. When the Third Round ended, she was pretty confident that she was now used to performing and the nerves that came with it—but the situation was very different now, well, to her at least.

The crowd, who had been very supportive of her in the past three rounds, she figured, in this round would simply _jeer _at her when she came onto stage. The most recent rumours that had been spread in the Academy about Mikan was that she _blackmailed _Natsume to be her boyfriend. Obviously this rumour made all his fangirls, who already disliked her for 'snatching their darling Natsume-sama away', _hate _her because now they were convinced she had used some manipulative method in getting him.

(Koko hearing this rumour laughed out loud and said, "That's the biggest piece of _crap_ I've ever heard in my _life._ Besides, if anything it was Natsume who blackmailed you—remember? With that slug?")

Obviously she cared about the rumour, no matter how many tried to convince herself that it didn't bother her . . . but there was something else that was making butterflies flutter in her stomach rather aggressively.

Mikan was anxious about how her old friends (namely Anna, Nonoko, Permy and Anna) were going to react to her song. Would they be furious? . . . or would they simply not care?

She was terrified.

She also knew that it was only going to be her on stage tonight—no support from her best friend or Natsume—just her.

Alone.

But Mikan knew she had to be strong—just like Mr. Reo said, if she _wanted _to be a singer in the future, she had to be prepared for all the consequences that may come with her dream. The Fourth Round, she kept reminding herself, is just preparation—a test.

Mikan was playing with a chain of her necklace, and subconsciously was biting her lip when she felt a hand clamp her shoulder. She turned around, and couldn't help but smile when she saw Natsume behind her with an expressionless look plastered on his face. "Hey. You alright?"

Mikan gave him a nervous smile as she exhaled, "No, not really!"

The contestants of the Fourth Round were all backstage at the moment, and it was 6:18pm—another 42 minutes till the Fourth Round would officially start. And this included Mikan—who was currently standing rather shakily by the water machine. Her song was ready, but her makeup, clothes and accessorizes were nor where near done; heck, she hadn't even started it yet.

Natsume, who vaguely knew about Mikan's worry for the Fourth Round, gave her a small yet affectionate smile and said, "Let them jeer all they want at the beginning. But Polka, you have to make your performance _flawless _so that they won't have anything to jeer about _after _it's all done, alright?"

Mikan nodded in comprehension, and putting a smile on her face double-checked, "And just go on with a smile on my face, right?"

Natsume nodded, as he patted her head, "Make it seem like you don't give two fucks about what they say." Mikan giggled rather cutely at that statement before she put her arms around Natsume's torso and hugged him. She knew Natsume didn't like public display of affection, so when he kissed her on her head, she was first mildly surprised but then couldn't help her smile widen, which was pressed to his chest. After a few seconds, she pulled away and remarked, "I better start getting ready now, Natsume. I'll see you in a bit!"

He nodded before he added, "Come to our band's changing room space after you're done."

"Okay!"

**0**

Angelic white dress. Pretty white dress. Flowy white dress. Breathtaking white dress. White _white_ dress.

Those were the descriptions that came into mind when Mikan saw the white dress in her changing room, which was coincidentally on top of the dress she had picked out earlier to wear tonight. At first, she was stunned by the beauty of the dress; but after gawking and admiring it for at least a minute, she frowned. What was this beautiful white dress doing in _her _changing room? Had someone accidently put this in her changing room by mistake? . . . She was sure this was _her _changing room, there was no doubt about that, the packet of crisps on the makeup table was one evidence, as well as the navy dress that lay underneath the beautiful white dress because it belonged to her and she remembered putting it there at around 6 o'clock.

So what the—

Mikan then suddenly gasped to herself—_no, it can't be—_

" _. . . I need to make something for you, for the Fourth Round!—I was thinking just a white dress though. It'll make you look like an angel or something, and you know how angels don't lie! They're so pure! It'll make your song sound more truthful, I thought!"_

The very sweet voice of Aoi Hyuuga ran through her mind as she now carefully picked up the dress to inspect it properly. Mikan felt tears well up in her eyes as she took in every detail of the simple white (yet stunning) dress—was this Aoi's doing? Had Aoi made her a dress . . . after everything that had happened? Mikan couldn't help a wave of self-loathe smash her—"_it'll make you look like an angel or something, and you know how angels don't like! They're so pure!"_—an angel? Pure? Truthful?

_Those are the exact words that _don't _describe me_. Mikan bitterly thought to herself and she couldn't help a tear fall freely down to her cheek, but almost immediately, she wiped it off.

It was Aoi's kindness after what she had done that made her cry . . . the thought of Aoi making this dress for Mikan even if they weren't speaking to her made her so damn tearful—

"I take it you like it then?"

Mikan blinked before she whirled around to see Hotaru with her makeup and dress already on. Her skinny arms were crossed at her chest and she had a rather affectionate look in her eyes—and almost immediately after seeing her, Mikan's eyes fogged up with tears once more. Hotaru smiled and pulled her into her arms when Mikan made her way towards her best friend, crying. Hotaru hugged her best friend, as she gently soothed her. "I knew you'd cry after you found it."

Mikan didn't reply, but nevertheless she arms tightened around Hotaru and Hotaru could feel her best friend shaking in her arms. "Aoi asked me to put that in your changing room a few minutes ago . . . I took it from Anna, and Anna even informed me that Aoi had spent the whole of last night finishing your dress off."

Overwhelmed by hearing stories of Aoi's generosity, Mikan looked up to her best friend and sobbed, "Out of everybody in Japan—the _world_—the person who least deserved to have me as a friend is Aoi—she's so . . ." Mikan couldn't finish her sentence of, as she cried some more.

"I know, I know," Hotaru murmured softly.

When Anna had knocked on her changing room door and presented Hotaru with the dress saying, "This is for Mikan, Hotaru. Can you please give it to her? It's from Aoi—please don't say no—she spent _all _of last night finishing it off for Mikan." Hotaru, was initially shocked. The last thing she expected was a dress from Aoi to Mikan—but immediately recovering from her shock, Hotaru accepted the dress and thanked Anna for bringing it to her.

Aoi was not just a pretty face.

Aoi, Hotaru realized, was probably the nicest girl she had ever encountered in her life.

After Mikan had calmed down (which took about two minutes), Hotaru guided her to her chair and said, "You should get ready soon . . . you're number seven, I checked."

Mikan nodded as she answered, "Thank you, Hotaru."

Hotaru paused before she replied, "It's not me you should thank, it's Aoi. Be sure to do so, Mikan."

Mikan smiled, "I promise. And this time, I'm not going to break my promise."

Hotaru patted Mikan's back comfortingly before she said, "It'll be seven soon—start getting your makeup on." Even though Mikan nodded, Hotaru didn't miss the look of bewilderment Mikan's face possessed as she looked down at the makeup counter where all her makeup was laid out. Hotaru, suddenly remembering Mikan never did her own makeup—it was always either Anna or Nonoko, sighed and picked up the eye shadow from the counter. Mikan gazed at Hotaru, surprised at her action, but before she could ask anything, Hotaru explained, "Come on, I'll help you get ready, silly."

**0**

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, _welcome to the Fourth Round!" _boomed the voice of Narumi, which echoed and bounced off the walls in the large hall of the Alice Academy. The crowd, who by now were getting rather impatient, immediately responded to Narumi by shouting and cheering, glad that their waiting had finally come to an end. "Only _ten _contestants remain tonight, and by the end of the night, only _five _will! The theme of tonight's Round is truth—the contestants have all been asked to write a piece about a truth and it'll be us judges who'll be judging whether or not they have carried out this task to our standards!"

Mikan felt could hear her exploding heartbeats as she closed her eyes, in vain to try calm herself down. The voice of Mr. Narumi was even echoing backstage in _Crimson Abyss_' changing room and she thanked Yuu when he offered her a bottle of water. She was sitting on Natsume's lap, and ever with his secure hold on her waist she still felt as if she was going to collapse of sheer anxiety. Hotaru, who was sitting beside Natsume on the couch, had her small hands onto of Mikan's—even with _both _of them there she felt scared.

"Don't worry, Mikan!" Kitsune-me reassured her as he popped another grape into his mouth from the bowl, "It's fine—besides, they can't really _jeer _at you when you're looking like _that!_"

Mikan couldn't help smile slightly when she felt Natsume's arms tense around her and she could only guess Natsume glared at Kitsune-me for his comment because almost immediately Kitsune-me apologized. Mikan was indeed wearing the beautiful dress made by Aoi—not only was it gorgeous but it was also extremely comfortable. It was very breezy, which was great because the Tokyo weather had been getting rather humid recently; it was a long dress, but not along enough to be a maxi-dress. The hem ended below her knee, and she topped the dress of with the pair of silver high heels Anna had given her, way back last year for the First Round. Her left arm was decorated with a silver bangle, and around her neck, she wore a simply chair necklace she had found earlier that day in her room. Her makeup was simple yet defined—natural eye shadow, blush, a bit of mascara, a swipe of eyeliner and to finish it off, a glide of lipgloss. Her long hair was blown back with a hair dryer, done by Hotaru rather professionally and a pair of simple silver earrings hanged on her ears.

Even though Natsume didn't say it out loud, he actually agreed with Kitsune-me's comment. Mikan looked absolutely beautiful and honestly, he couldn't believe how . . ._ lucky _he was to have her. Just the thought made his arms tighten around her waist. No matter what she thought of herself, Natsume didn't see Mikan as a 'bad' person at all. Sure, there were days were he couldn't help slap his hand against his forehead due to her sheer childishness but that wasn't a _bad _thing . . . he liked that about her.

The doors of the changing room suddenly opened, and in came in an excited looking Koko, who announced, "Come on guys, the Fourth Round has started! Come on, come on, let's go check it out!"

Two minutes and two seconds later, they were all standing behind the wall of the stage but with a perfect view of the stage, too. They were offside when Mr. Narumi called, "First performers of tonight are . . . _Bunny Love!_"

Hotaru groaned at the name, and couldn't help _growl _when suddenly, she felt a group of people _push _past her to get to the stage—Luna Koizumi and her little minions. Passing _Crimson Abyss_ (including the manager), Luna had a pretty smile on her face, Hotaru observed, but Hotaru didn't miss the look of pure loathing Luna shot at Mikan when she pushed past her.

_Bunny Love _made their way to the centre of the stage as the crowd roared approvingly—Hotaru rolled her eyes, _boys and their dicks_, she thought to herself rather exasperatedly, and couldn't help want to shoot herself when Luna actually spoke into the microphone in her sugar coated voice.

"Hi guys! It's us again—and judging from all the screaming, I would say you're _glad _we're back here on stage!" The crowd (well, the boys) whooped and wolf-whistled in agreement. Luna, clearly happy with the response giggled in the microphone and said, "Enjoy our show!"

**Rockstar  
Prima J**

_Woah  
Tell me what you think you looking at  
Oh  
So I think I'm Queen Elizabeth  
Now  
And now I'm stuck inside your memory  
So  
That's why it's so hard to get rid of me_

_I am incredible, so unforgettable  
So no one can take my place  
I am unbreakable, highly flammable  
So, girl, get outta my face  
Oh, we got 'em going crazy  
Maybe 'cause we're so amazing  
Everybody in a daze  
And that's the reason why they're hating  
Treat us like some superstars  
And only cause that's what we are  
You know we going really far,  
And you all ain't even heard it all_

_You hate 'cause I'm a rockstar, a rockstar  
A pretty little problem, uh huh  
You hate 'cause I'm a rockstar, a rockstar  
A pretty little problem, uh huh  
You hate me 'cause I'm everything that you ever wanted to be  
And I don't mind 'cause I love it when you're looking at me  
'cause I'm a rockstar, a rockstar  
I said that I'm a rockstar, a rockstar  
Keep looking at me_

_Wow  
It seems to me like I was bothering  
How  
'cause I make walking look like modeling  
Wow  
It ain't my fault the boys keep following  
Now  
If you were better, he wouldn't be wandering_

_I am incredible, so unforgettable  
So no one can take my place  
I am unbreakable, highly flammable  
So, girl, get outta my face  
Oh, we got 'em going crazy  
Maybe 'cause we're so amazing  
Everybody in a daze  
And that's the reason why they're hating  
Treat us like some superstars  
And only cause that's what we are  
You know we going really far,  
And you all ain't even heard it all_

_You hate 'cause I'm a rockstar, a rockstar  
A pretty little problem, uh huh  
You hate 'cause I'm a rockstar, a rockstar  
A pretty little problem, uh huh  
You hate me 'cause I'm everything that you ever wanted to be  
And I don't mind 'cause I love it when you're looking at me  
'cause I'm a rockstar, a rockstar  
I said that I'm a rockstar, a rockstar  
Keep looking at me_

_We're BUNNY L, you know it_

_We're not afraid to show it_

_We hold the crown and that's why they can't stop us now_

_The ground we're on is golden_

_They can't fix what's not broken_

_Don't act like you all don't know what's bout to happen now_

_You hate 'cause I'm a rockstar, a rockstar  
A pretty little problem, uh huh  
You hate 'cause I'm a rockstar, a rockstar  
A pretty little problem, uh huh  
You hate me 'cause I'm everything that you ever wanted to be  
And I don't mind 'cause I love it when you're looking at me  
'cause I'm a rockstar, a rockstar  
I said that I'm a rockstar, a rockstar  
Keep looking at me_

_You hate 'cause I'm a rockstar, a rockstar  
A pretty little problem, uh huh  
You hate 'cause I'm a rockstar, a rockstar  
A pretty little problem, uh huh  
You hate me 'cause I'm everything that you ever wanted to be  
And I don't mind 'cause I love it when you're looking at me  
'cause I'm a rockstar, a rockstar  
I said that I'm a rockstar, a rockstar  
Keep looking at me._

Both Hotaru and Mikan could only gape in _horror _after _Bunny Love_'s performance. If Hotaru wasn't so damn shocked by the erotic dancing displayed (yet again) by them, she would have probably laughed at the self-obsessed lyrics—no doubt it had been written by Luna. Only she could up with something like 'you hate 'cause I'm a rockstar, a pretty little problem . . ." _Uh huh . . . _seriously.

It wasn't like Mikan was _that _innocent anymore. She was sixteen years old—she knew what guys . . . _enjoyed _seeing when concerning a girl, and knew they usually thought with their beeep(!) instead of their brain. But even taking this to account, she couldn't help frown when she looked up to see Natsume's eyes intensely rested on _Bunny Love_. She then glanced to behind her to the rest of her guy friends—_all _their eyes were, even Yuu's!

_Smack!_

"Ow!" Ruka cried, as he shot his hand to his chest (where he had been smacked) as a reflex. "Imai, that hurt!"

"Well, you were the one who was drooling, idiot. I only hit you so you would wake up from your fantasy—your drool was about to drip on me."

Ruka reddened as remarked, "I wasn't _drooling!_"

"Believe me, you were."

Mikan didn't know who was telling the truth but didn't turn her attention to it—instead; she kept her gaze (well, now glare) on Natsume, whose eyes were _still _on _Bunny Love_, who by now were making their way towards them (tottering, would be a good word), to return backstage.

. . . (sigh) Men.

"A_hem_."

Natsume's trance seemed break as soon as Mikan cleared her voice in a rather sinister manner—he blinked thrice before he looked down at her. Mikan's eyebrows were raised, her lips were thinned, and her nose was flared. "You know," she started off rather coolly, casting her eyes away from him, "if you really cared about me, you would've told me that that performance simply made you gag."

Natsume blinked again before he chuckled, obviously trying to lighten up the mood, as he put one of his hand on Mikan's shoulder and said, "Oh come on—"

Mikan whirled around with her eyebrows furrowed interrupted him by exclaiming, "Don't 'come on' me! You—no, _all of you_, yes Yuu, even _you_," she accused, "were staring at their little butts!"

Immediately, when she heard a girlish gasp from behind her, Mikan regretted what she had said.

"Ooooh!" Luna Koizumi squealed, as Mikan reluctantly turned around to face her. Luna's bright blue eyes were focused on Natsume as she giggled, "Is that true boys? You were staring at our butts? Why, thanks for that, boys!"

"Go away Koizumi," Hotaru hissed after she had let out a bottled up breath, with her amethyst eyes dangerously narrowed. Honestly, Hotaru couldn't _stand _people like Luna Koizumi.

Luna giggled again, while she had her top row of teeth bitten down lightly on her red, red lips. She smiled, as she glanced over at Natsume, "Well, _Natsume _doesn't seem to mind about my presenc—"

"Don't flatter yourself." Natsume interrupted, in a voice that was neither kind nor cold. It was completely expressionless. But his eyes, Mikan noted, had a rather intensely fierce look in them as he looked down at Luna Koizumi and her groupies.

Luna smiled again, showing off her cute little dimple before she said, "Well," she shrugged as her smile curved up rather seductively, "you _know _I'm always free for you . . . _any_ of you for that matter!" As soon as she said that, the whole of the _Bunny Love _threw their heads back and started to titter with laughter.

Mikan twitched. _WTF, that wasn't even funny._

"You're such a slut, Luna!" one of them even commented as she laughed. Luna only giggled harder when she heard that—_does she take that as a bloody compliment? _Mikan thought in disbelief as she now watched _Bunny Love _push past them to get deeper into backstage . . . _apparently so._

Just when Hotaru was about to thank Jesus for making _Bunny Love _leave them, she groaned when Luna turned back around with a flirty look plastered on her face. "Hey, Natsume!" she called, "I meant what I said . . . I'm _always _free for you . . . you know where my room is." with that, she smoothly winked at him and turned her back on the them and walked away, her hips swaying rather seductively.

"I hate her." Hotaru instantly stated, not caring whether or not Luna heard that or not.

"That was too explicit!" Yuu cried, as he wiped his forehead rather vigorously with a handkerchief.

"You know," Koko said, "if you look at her closely you can start to see Satan, no joke."

"I don't think you have to look that closely, mate." Kitsune-me replied as his nose crinkled, "and speaking about Satan . . . I swear her room number _is _666?" Immediately after hearing this, Koko, Kitsune-me and Yuu feverishly talked about it, all with their eyes widened.

Ruka sighed before he turned to Natsume and remarked, "I'm sorry to say this Natsume, but I don't know why you _ever _dated her."

Natsume didn't reply for a while, but then he exhaled loudly and said, "I ask myself that too."

Mikan, who had been listening in to their conversation, sneered, "Pfft, yeah right. I know why you dated her—it's because she's," she put her hands up and put her two fingers up as inverted comma's, "'hot'. And because she has a nice bum."

Natsume raised his eyebrows, as he looked down at Mikan, "Jealous?"

Mikan snorted, "Nope—just disgusted."

Natsume then put an arm around her and smirked down at her before he said, "How would you feel if I told you that I think you have a _nicer _arse?" as he nudged her rather fondly, waiting for an answer.

Mikan paused before she looked up and confessed (while giggling a bit), "I guess I'll be _kinda _happy . . ."

**0**

Mikan applauded loudly and even cheered when Permy—Sumire, had finished her violin piece. She knew that Sumire probably wouldn't _want _her support, but nevertheless, as soon as Sumire Shouda's name was called, immediately, taking hold of Hotaru's hand, she dragged her behind the stage wall to observe Sumire's violin piece. It was a very complicated sounding piece—it sounded even rather aggressive, _angry_, but nevertheless it was a fantastic piece performed flawlessly. Sumire, Mikan noted as she performed, looked skinner than she did before but even so, she still shone brightly in the spotlight she resembled like a fairytale character with her curly black hair and emerald green eyes.

After Sumire took a bow, Mr. Narumi tapped into the microphone and exclaimed, "That, my babies, was our third performer, the lovely Sumire Shouda!" the crowd cheered loudly as Sumire made her way off the stage, waving. "Aaaaand next," Mr. Narumi continued in an excited manner, "we have our very own twins, Anna and Nonoko! Please welcome them to the staaaaage!"

Immediately, the spotlight hit the two who were making their way to the centre of the stage. Both wearing their signature cowboy boots, they waved at the crowd—but both Hotaru and Mikan realized they looked worn out, tired . . . the fact that they were blowing kisses at the crowd didn't mask their lack of smiles.

"G'evening Alice Academy! I'm sure that you all know by now, but _I'm _Anna, and this is my twin, Nonoko."

Mikan winced—even their voices sounded drained of their usual bubbliness.

"Hope you enjoy this song!"

**Today Was A Fairytale  
Taylor Swift**

_Today was a fairytale  
You were the prince  
I used to be a damsel in distress  
You took me by the hand and you picked me up at six  
Today was a fairytale_

_Today was a fairytale_

_Today was a fairytale  
I wore a dress  
You wore a dark grey t-shirt  
You told me I was pretty  
When I looked like a mess  
Today was a fairytale_

_Time slows down  
Whenever you're around_

_Can you feel this magic in the air?  
It must have been the way you kissed me  
Fell in love when I saw you standing there  
It must have been the way  
Today was a fairytale_

_It must have been the way  
Today was a fairytale_

_Today was a fairytale  
You've got a smile that takes me to another planet  
Every move you make everything you say is right  
Today was a fairytale_

_Today was a fairytale  
All that I can say  
Is now it's getting so much clearer  
Nothing made sense until the time I saw your face  
Today was a fairytale_

_Time slows down  
Whenever you're around_

_But can you feel this magic in the air?  
It must have been the way you kissed me  
Fell in love when I saw you standing there  
It must have been the way  
Today was a fairytale_

_It must have been the way  
Today was a fairytale_

_Time slows down  
Whenever you're around  
I can feel my heart  
It's beating in my chest  
Did you feel it?  
I can't put this down_

_But can you feel this magic in the air?  
It must have been the way you kissed me  
Fell in love when I saw you standing there  
It must have been the way_

_But can you feel this magic in the air?  
It must have been the way you kissed me  
Fell in love when I saw you standing there  
It must have been the way  
Today was a fairytale  
It must have been the way  
Today was a fairytale_

_Today was a fairytale_

It really was a beautiful song—a song that Mikan knew _every _girl in the world wanted to be reality . . . but even though it was a perfect song, something about the performance of it was a bit off it. Fairytale—no, Anna and Nonoko sang it as if it were a depressing Celine Dion song. Their pretty eyes didn't sparkle and not once did they seem to convey the message that 'today was a fairytale'.

"Thank you," Nonoko said into the microphone to the crowd, "and I hope the rest of your night it good!" and then with that, as the crowd cheered and whooped, the twins left the stage with their clunking cowboy boots. No blow kisses either.

**0**

Mikan couldn't help but laugh out loud when Hotaru introduced her piece—"It's about money. And my love for it." When Hotaru had said she was writing a piano piece for money, Mikan didn't know she was serious but she was even more surprised when Hotaru somehow worked her magic on the piano. The quick and bouncy sounds of the piano sounded strangely like _money. _And then the romantic sounds of the piano . . . like _love. _

How she managed it was a mystery—even to Natsume, who was watching the performance with a raised eyebrow.

Once her unbelievably goodpiece ended, the audience loudly cheered and wolf whistled. 'Hotaru' banners now swung up in the air, and Mikan's jaw practically fell to the floor when she saw _Mr. Jinno _standing up, clapping. "She's definitely in," Natsume murmured to no one in particular. Mikan looked up at him in an expression that read 'how-do-_you-_know?', which he picked up on and explained, "look at Jinno. I have never in my life seen him clap so bloody hard. _That's That's _why."

"Maybe he loves money too!" Mikan suggested, before she loudly whistled at Hotaru, who was hurriedly making her way backstage and judging by the expression on her face, Mikan only knew too well that Hotaru was getting annoyed by the loud cheers and couldn't wait to escape from it. . . only Hotaru.

"Well done, Hotaru!" Mikan congratulated as she hugged and kissed her best friend on the cheek. "That was fantastic!"

"You even got greasy Jinno to clap!" Koko commented, as he patted Hotaru on the back. "Congrats!"

"Well done, Imai!" Ruka said, as he gave her a little applaud.

Even if there wasn't a smile plastered on her face, Mikan could see swirls of happiness twinkle in her amethyst eyes, and honestly, Mikan couldn't be happier for her best friend. For all she had done for her, if there was anything she deserved was this—happiness.

"After that spectacular piece by Hotaru Imai," the crowd cheered at her name, "we . . ."

"Oh no," Mikan gasped as she heard Mr Narumi's voice, "I'm next."

". . . have Mikan Sakura!"

Mikan swore mentally, and whirled out in hope to make an _escape _but then Natsume's strong arms stopped her before he put both his hands on either sides of her cheeks. "Mikan, calm down." He gently commanded, as he moved his hands in a circular motion to soothe her. "You'll be fine." Mikan opened her mouth to say something, but nothing would come out—her throat felt as dry as sandpaper. "Mikan, listen." Mikan blinked, but once her pounding heart calmed down a bit, she heard it. The crowd was cheering for her. _Cheering._

Before Mikan could comment or say anything, Natsume swooped down and kissed her on her cheek. "There," he said as he gazed back into her hazel eyes, "you have my luck now. Now go."

Feeling as if the kiss really did give her luck and strength, Mikan nodded at Natsume and glanced around at her other friends—Hotaru, Koko, Kitsune-me, Ruka and Yuu—they were all nodded at her in reassuring manner. "You'll stun them like you always do, Mikan." Hotaru assured her, her voice firm yet soft.

"Come on, go Sakura!" Koko cried, as he suddenly pushed Mikan's shoulder. "Don't leave the crowd waiting!"

Finally seeing her, the crowd welcomed Mikan on stage, and Mikan couldn't help feeling all flustered—even after all she had done she still had support? Having support from Natsume and Hotaru made her feel guilty enough, but the fact that all these people were cheering her on right now, that minute, made Mikan want to somehow cry again.

But she wasn't going to cry. Not now, not now.

"Thank you, Alice Academy," Mikan said into the microphone that was shaking due to her hands, "I-I hope you are all enjoying your night!" The crowd chorused a, "FUCK YEAH!" which made Mikan smile—she really was not expecting this enthusiasm she was receiving. Natsume was right. "This song I'm about to sing for you all tonight is dedicated to love and its cruel ways. Al-although this may seem dedicated to a guy; it's actually dedicated to a girl—no, dedicated to some girls. To some girls I really miss." And with that, the music started, and the crowd cheered.

**Battlefield  
Jordin Sparks**

_Don't try to explain your mind  
I know what's happening here  
One minute it's love and suddenly  
It's like a battle-field  
One word turns into a  
Why is it the smallest things that tear us down  
My world's nothing when you're gone  
I'm not here without a shield  
Can't go back now_

_Both hands tied behind my back with nothing  
Oh no  
These times when we climb so fast to fall again  
Why we gotta fall for it now_

_I never meant to start a war  
You know I never wanna hurt you  
Don't even know what we're fighting for_

_Why does love always feel like ...  
a battlefield (battlefield)  
a battlefield (battlefield)  
a battlefield (battlefield)_

_Why does love always feel like ...  
a battlefield (battlefield)  
a battlefield (battlefield)  
a battlefield (battlefield)_

_Why does love always feel like_

_Can't swallow our pride,  
Neither of us wanna raise that flag  
If we can't surrender  
then we both gonna lose what we had, oh no_

_Both hands tied behind my back with nothing  
(nothing)  
Oh no, these times when we climb so fast to fall again  
I don't wanna fall for it now_

_I never meant to start a war  
You know I never wanna hurt you  
Don't even know what we're fighting for_

_Why does love always feel like ...  
a battlefield (battlefield)  
a battlefield (battlefield)  
a battlefield (battlefield)_

_Why does love always feel like ...  
a battlefield (battlefield)  
a battlefield (battlefield)  
a battlefield (battlefield)_

_I guess you better go and get your armor  
(get your armor)  
Get your armor (get your armor)  
I guess you better go and get your armor  
(get your armor)  
Get your armor (get your armor)_

_I guess you better go and get your_

_We could pretend that we are friends tonight  
And in the morning we'll wake up and we'll be alright  
Cause baby we don't have to fight  
And I don't want this love to feel like_

_A battlefield (oh), a battlefield (oh), a battlefield,  
Why does love always feel like a battlefield (oh),  
A battlefield (oh), a battlefield_

_I guess you better go and get your armor  
I never meant to start a war (start a war)  
You know I never wanna hurt you  
Don't even know what we're fighting for  
(fighting, fighting for)_

_Why does love always feel like ...  
a battlefield (battlefield)  
a battlefield (battlefield)  
a battlefield (battlefield)_

_Why does love always feel like ...  
a battlefield (battlefield)  
a battlefield (battlefield)  
a battlefield (battlefield)_

_I guess you better go and get your armor_

_Get your armor_  
_I guess you better go and get your armor_  
_Get your armor_

_Why does love always feel like  
Why does love always feel like  
A battlefield, a battlefield…_

_I never meant to start a war  
Don't even know what we're fighting for  
I never meant to start a war  
Don't even know what we're fighting for_

Mikan was absolutely breathless when she finished her song and it was only after the last note had died she realized she had been _crying _during the last few seconds of it—her cheeks felt damp and quickly, she wiped the beads of tears off not caring if her makeup was ruined. The crowd was whistling, cheering, and screaming her name and Mikan felt absolutely overwhelmed, especially by the end of it when she heard the crowd sing the simple lyrics of the chorus along with her. _  
_

"Thank you very much," she breathlessly said into the microphone before she turned around to make her way off the stage—she did give the crowd a wave before she was completely concealed by the backstage wall and before she was in the arms of Natsume, crying.

"Shhh . . ." Natsume soothed her as he tightened his hold onto Mikan's petite body. Koko, Kitsune-me, Ruka, Yuu and Hotaru all looked at each other when they saw Natsume stroke Mikan's hair with one of his hand, and they all couldn't help but smile at each other and with a similar look in all their eyes, they knew that it was their cue to leave. "I need to piss!" Koko loudly announced, which everybody replied with, "Yeah same!" (except for Hotaru who said, "I'm going to get some food.") and within a few seconds, they left Natsume with Mikan, who was still sobbing in his torso.

"Well done, Mikan," Natsume gently whispered into her hair once her sobbing had reduced a bit, "you nailed it."

Mikan took in a large gulp of air before she looked up at Natsume's crimson eyes and exclaimed, "I'm so sorry for being such a cry-baby Natsume. I really should just get a hold of myse—"

"That's not true. Mikan, you _hardly _cry in front of me. Imai's told me you've been crying a lot to her though—is it that you don't want me to see you cry?"

_Yes_, was the truth. Mikan hated to make other people worry for her—especially Natsume. And Natsume knew this too well; he knew when she told him a problem she _always _forced a smile on her face, no matter what, even if her eyes told her a different story.

"Mikan, I'm here for you—if you want to cry, then go ahead and cry. You can drown me in your tears for all I care." He exclaimed, and he couldn't help smile slightly when he heard Mikan let out a watery chuckle.

Mikan pulled her out of Natsume's torso and looked up into his crimson orbs, "You'll be here for me?"

Natsume nodded.

"Forever and always?"

Natsume rolled his eyes in amusement before he promised, his right hand now on Mikan's head, in a rather teasing tone, "Forever and always, you silly thing."

_Was I out of line?  
Did I say something way too honest, made you run and hide  
Like a scared little boy  
I looked into your eyes  
Thought I knew you for a minute, now I'm not so sure_

_So here's everything coming down to nothing  
Here's to silence that cuts me to the core  
Where is this going?  
Thought I knew for a minute, but I don't anymore_

_And I stare at the phone, he still hasn't called  
And then you feel so low you cant feel nothing at all  
And you flashback to when he said forever and always  
Oh, and it rains in your bedroom  
Everything is wrong  
It rains when you're here and it rains when you're gone  
'cause I was there when you said forever and always  
You didn't mean it baby, I don't think so_

_Back up, baby, back up  
Did you forget everything  
Back up, baby, back up  
Did you forget everything_

_'cause it rains in your bedroom  
Everything is wrong  
It rains when you're here and it rains when you're gone  
'cause I was there when you said forever and always_

_Oh, I stare at the phone, he still hasn't called  
And then you feel so low you cant feel nothing at all  
And you flashback to when we said forever and always_

_And it rains in your bedroom  
Everything is wrong  
It rains when you're here and it rains when you're gone  
'cause I was there when you said forever and always  
You didn't mean it baby, you said forever and always ... yeah._

**0**

**End of Chapter Twenty Five**

**0**


	29. AUTHOR'S NOTE: VERY IMPORTANT

**NOT A CHAPTER, BUT VERY IMPORTANT NONETHELESS.**

Oh my god. So, people are probably wondering WHY I have changed my penname, story names and summary from each story (which all make me sound like an idiot). But I have been plagiarised again. This time, by somebody not even on FFN!

Briefly explained:

I have to change the name of my story, My Happy Ending and my penname due to certain circumstances - this one person once emailed me asking me if she could print My Happy Ending. My first response was 'Of Course!' because I wouldn't mind if she printed it out, you know? I thought she was just going to print it for herself! Then I found out this girl printed it out and presented it to her friend's as her OWN work. I found this out because I got an email from her earlier this afternoon saying: can you please hide your story from the internet because my friends really like it and im scared they will find your story on the interenet and find out i didnt write it!"

I was like WTF.

She is not a member of fanfiction, and I want to change my penname and my story name so that she will not ever stumble across my story again (or even ME for that matter) so she cannot print it out and claim it as 'her's'.

I have changed everything, so sorry for the confusion. I'll be able to revert back ASAP. Sorry for the inconvenience, but for now, Im GML, not LMG.

Thank you.

And thank you to Breathless Love for helping me - I appreciate it a lot. And Cynthia H from Facebook :)


	30. The Fourth Round: Part II

**Disclaimer:** SUMMER! And no I don't own Alice Gakuen! And may I apologize for making so many of you cry with my previous chapter! _I _was nearly in tears when I read all your reviews on how much tears you shed for Chapter Twenty Three! Gah! :'(

**0**

**My Happy Ending  
**_**by Little Miss Giggle**_

**0**

**Chapter Twenty Six: The Fourth Round  
Part II: Great Escape**

**0**

_I don't need no superman,  
with special powers and a fake tan,  
to try and save the day for me.  
Why can't he just let me be?_

**0**

_**One week ago . . .**_

Ruka's blue eyes glanced over at Natsume, who was sitting on the couch, with looking rather . . . _dazed_. And just by that one look, Ruka knew that Natsume was thinking about Mikan Sakura. Ruka couldn't help but sigh in amusement—he honestly couldn't believe how much his best friend had _changed_; last year this time, Ruka would have never imaged _this. _But then again, of course, Natsume _hadn't _changed—he had just simply changed back.

"Hey, Natsume," Ruka called to his best friend, who after three seconds snapped his head in the direction of Ruka, "do you want a coke?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, cheers." Natsume thanked, as he twisted his head back to the blank television.

_He's whipped._

After collecting two cans of coke from the fridge, Ruka returned to the living room, and tossed one of the can to Natsume. While Natsume thanked Ruka again, he sat down on the armchair beside the couch Natsume was sitting on and glanced at his best friend again. "Natsume," he prompted, after taking a sip of his drink, "are . . . are you sure you want to sing about _it _in the Fourth Round?" Natsume who was sipping his coke abruptly stopped as soon as Ruka said, and immediately the dazed look on his face was dispelled.

"W-What I mean is," Ruka quickly added, scared that he had offended his friend, "that . . . Koko, Kitsune-me and I were wondering if this is a good idea—for you. I mean, you know, we were going to forget about it after—"

"Ruka, slow down." Natsume interrupted, smiling slightly at the flustered expression on Ruka's face. "Sometimes, you can be such a . . . sissy."

"S-Sissy?"

Natsume chuckled, "Yeah. A sissy . . ." before he ruffled his hair with his free hand and sighed, "I don't know, Ruka. Recently I've been remembering it all, but somehow, unlike before, I don't think it's a _bad _thing. I think . . . remembering it all is making me accept it all too—something I haven't been able to do."

"But you don't have to accept it, Natsume!" Ruka cried, as he put his coke down on the coffee table, "Natsume, you can just _let it go! _Stop beating yourself up about it and just let it go!"

"I'm _trying _to," Natsume growled, "even now."

Ruka sighed, as he fell back onto the armchair with an exasperated look. "I don't mean this in a bad way, Natsume, so don't get me wrong but ever since you got to know Sakura, you've become your old self again—and you don't understand how _thankful _I am to her for it. So can't you be your old self _and_ just _let it go_?"

"I told you, I'm tryi—"

"Mate, your obviously not if you've started to write _songs _about it again. You don't even have to accept what you did—just forget about it, Natsume!"

_Forget about it. Forget about it. But how could he after what had happened . . ._

_**End of flashback . . .**_

**0**

"And _finally _ladies and gentlemen, we welcome, _**Crimson Abyss **_to the stage!" Narumi's voice roared into the microphone, and Mikan could only roll her eyes in amusement as she saw the crowd go _ballistic_. She couldn't help laugh slightly when Hotaru, who was standing beside her, wedged a yellow earplug in both of her ears, with a murderous expression plastered on her face. Even though Mikan couldn't hear her, she read Hotaru's lips saying: "Ridiculous."

Mikan turned around Natsume and the rest of the boys and shouted a loud, "Good luck!" to them all, and starting with Koko, _Crimson Abyss _started to make their way to the stage—Natsume lingered for a bit though, letting Mikan kiss him on cheek—"There." She said into his ear, "now you have your luck back!"

Natsume grinned at her, and even gripped her hand as he thanked her. And with that, he followed his band mates onto the stage, where he was greeted by a wave of screaming fans, which he hardly responded to. _He must be so used to it all, _Mikan mused as she watched him fondly. But her lips thinned—there was something about Natsume that didn't seem right; he was fine at the beginning of the night, but as soon as Yuu had announced they were on next a few minutes ago, Natsume's expression seemed to just change immediately, and Mikan was scared. Because for once in her life, she was certain she saw a rather vulnerable Natsume then. A vulnerable, and scared Natsume. And she was _sure _it wasn't because he was just about to perform but because of something else. _What_, she wasn't sure.

"Good evening." Natsume voice echoed, and Mikan could only cringe when the screaming and the banners _doubled. _She also gasped in horror when she read one that read: **MIKAN SAKURA IS A WHORE! BE MY BOYFRIEND INSTEAD, NATSUME. **

_Bitch_, Mikan thought.

She even had the nerve to draw a caricature of Mikan looked like a troll! And a _heart _next to Natsume's name!

_Bitch who drew me as a troll and bitch who put a heart next to Natsume's name._

The nerve.

_AND THE BITCH WHO CALLED ME A WHORE!_

Mikan growled, but then she turned her attention back to Natsume, who continued, "I'm sure you're all here to hear _us_ perform tonight, not the other way around. We'll start when you're ready, then."

The crowd first seemed to scream harder (but of course, they were hearing their _darling _Natsume's voice), but once some people in the crowd figured out _what _he had meant by his statement, they shouted for everybody beside them to 'SHUT THE FUCK UP!" and Mikan was impressed as in less then ten seconds, the crowd's rowdiness had lessened considerably.

"Thanks," and with that, the music started.

**New Divide  
**_**Linkin Park**_

_I remembered black skies, the lightning all around me  
I remembered each flash as time began to blur  
Like a startling sign that fate had finally found me  
And your voice was all I heard that I get what I deserve _

_So give me reason to prove me wrong, to wash this memory clean  
Let the floods cross the distance in your eyes  
Give me reason to fill this hole, connect the space between  
Let it be enough to reach the truth that lies across this new divide _

_There was nothing in sight but memories left abandoned  
There was nowhere to hide, the ashes fell like snow  
And the ground caved in between where we were standing  
And your voice was all I heard that I get what I deserve _

_So give me reason to prove me wrong, to wash this memory clean  
Let the floods cross the distance in your eyes across this new divide _

_In every loss, in every lie, in every truth that you'd deny  
And each regret and each goodbye was a mistake too great to hide _

_And your voice was all I heard that I get what I deserve  
So give me reason to prove me wrong, to wash this memory clean  
Let the floods cross the distance in your eyes  
Give me reason to fill this hole, connect the space between  
Let it be enough to reach the truth that lies across this new divide _

_Across this new divide, across this new divide_

As soon as the first line was sung by his deep and raspy voice, Mikan felt as though she had heard this song before, if not, heard a song (maybe songs) that was very familiar to it. And once Natsume was singing the chorus, it hit Mikan were she had heard a song like this before—Mikan realized this song was similar, similar to the songs 'Numb' and 'What I've Done'. That sad, and lost look was also present on Natsume's face as he clutched the microphone tightly and sang. For a few seconds, it was as if Mikan had forgotten how to _breathe _as she watched Natsume perform, and it was only when she felt Hotaru's hand clamp her back she remembered breathing was necessary for life.

"Thank you, and good night." Were the last words of _Crimson Abyss _before they started to make their way back to backstage along with the sounds of crazed fans _screaming _their fucking heart out. As soon as they were in reach, Mikan hugged Koko and Kitsune-me, congratulating them. Hotaru seemed to be doing the same for Ruka (minus the hugging), and once Koko and Kitsune-me had moved away to engage in their conversation, Mikan saw Natsume. Tall as ever, with his black hair as messy as ever, his eyes seemed rather hollow, and tired. And just like the end of _her _performance, Natsume looked as if he needed comforting this time—Mikan pressed her lips together as she took a step towards him. They stared each other for a fraction of a second before Mikan threw her arms around him and tightly held onto him. Natsume blinked before he wound his arms around her and hugged her, if possible, even more tightly, afraid to ever let her go.

**0**

"Ladiiiiiies, yooohooo!" Narumi called into the microphone, "And gentlemennnn, wooohoo! It is now time to announce _who _shall be going through to the much anticipated Fifth Round!" The crowd happily cheered in response and Mikan could only bite her lip as her heart pounded.

This was it. The moment of truth.

"Only _five _students shall be selected to go forward, while the rest regrettably will not. Tonight, unlike usual, we shall be going through _all ten _performances and share our views on it. And the end of our views, we shall call the five contestants we see fit to go on to the Fifth Round!

"First, we start with _Bunny Love_. Although the tune was catchy, we feel it would have been more appropriate for the Third Round. We did really see any truth in the piece—unless you really believed everything you sang in the song . . ."

"What does he mean?" Mikan heard the voice of Luna Koizumi shriek in the far distant, and she could have sworn she even heard a stamp of foot.

Snicker, snicker.

"Next," Narumi carried on, "Misaki Harada, your piece, _Me & U_, we enjoyed it a lot! Even though one of our judges felt that this piece would've been more appropriates for The Third Round too, we felt nevertheless that sense of _urgency _and drive for passionate _love _was conveyed very well!"

Mikan couldn't help giggle when she heard the voice of Misaki Harada from her far left say, "What the hell? Urgency and drive for passionate love? When did I ever convey that?"

"Next, Sumire Shouda's violin piece, titled, _Vixen._" Mikan froze when she heard the name . . . somehow, the angry sounds of the violin piece was coming back to how and somehow she now felt it was directed to her. _Vixen. _"it was a very well performed piece—complicated, we might add. It really amazed us all, but we couldn't help pick up on that this was rather an aggressive piece. This piece conveyed nothing but anger, and we feel that _anger _is not a real emotion but usually an emotion that covers the hurt or the misunderstood."

"Anger's not real emotion, huh?" Sumire barked to Anna and Nonoko with flames in her green eyes, "I'll prove them wrong when I sit my heel up their arse!" Anna and Nonoko couldn't help giggle at her statement and patted Sumire gently on the back as she huffed, in anger (once again).

"Next, we had Anna and Nonoko perform _Today Was A Fairytale._ We thought this was a lovely piece, the lyrics were sweet and the tune and beat of it was very happy and optimistic. Sadly, this was not the same for our two performers—what happened to you two munchkins, huh? Unlike the song, you both were rather glum and rather tired looking!"

Mikan couldn't help guiltily look down at her feet; was it her fault that the twins looked so, as Narumi put it, glum?

"Next, we had Mochu," the crowd roared, "with his song, _Beautiful_." Mochu, who was pals with Natsume was standing beside Natsume at the moment while his hands were entwined with Mikan's. Mikan could only glance admiringly at Mochu (even Hotaru who stood beside her!)—his song was incredible, it was also incredibly sad. "_This _is the exact example of what we were looking for—the sad truth of Mochu seemed to be reveled in this song and us judges really enjoyed this, so thank you very much!"

Hotaru snapped a picture of Mochu, who was now being nudged by Natsume, who had a grin on his face, "Congrats, mate."

"Cheers, Natsume!"

"Next, we had Hotaru Imai, we her piece, _Money_." Mikan laughed as she heard the cheer of the crowd and couldn't help pat her best friend's back with her free hand. "You had all of us—especially Mr. Jinno very impressed. People like you are the people we believe will make our school proud in years to come! The piece was very convincing and even if it wasn't complicated it was perfect just the way it was!"

"Well done, Hotaru!"

"Well done, Imai," Ruka chimed in with Mikan as he smiled at the amethyst Hotaru Imai who had a small smile present on her face.

"And next, we had Mikan Sakura! Her song _Battlefield _at first would seem like a love song about heartbreak, if you look at it from a different light it's an apology. We thought this piece was chocked up with apologies and we all agreed it was a very thoughtful and honest piece. Beautifully performed, too!"

Mikan felt Natsume's hand tighten around her's when Narumi spoke, and she even felt Hotaru's hand on her shoulder. And Mikan couldn't help the smile on her face once the judges shared their views about her piece with her—"Well done, Polka," Natsume said to her, as he looked down at her with his lips smiling slightly to one side. "I'm proud of you."

_Were you? Were you really?_

"Next, we had Andou Tsubasa with his song_ High_. It was slow piece that was enriched with truthfull and very honest lyrics, we thought. The feeling of being with a loved one and feeling like the highest being on this planet was really conveyed in this song, and we can only be jealous of your relationship with this girl mentioned in this song!

"And after that we had Erica Stone with her song _On A Mission_. We viewed this song as exciting—a sense of a secret organization was present and this made it exciting; and your 'mission' was clear in the song!"

"And finally, we had _Crimson Abyss_," The crowd cheered approvingly, "with their piece, _New Divide. _The feeling of regret and self-loathe was evident in this song and by the way it was performed one can only wonder _why _you hate yourself, Natsume-kun!" The crowd all cheered in response to that, shouting louder than ever, "It was magnificently presented as per usual, and this is another example of what this Academy expects from our students—sheer brilliant-ness."

Mikan laughed as she looked up at Natsume and said, "You hear that, Natsume? You're sheer brilliant-ness!"

"You dog, Natsume!" Mochu commented as _he _know nudged Natsume in the shoulders. Behind, Koko, Kitsune-me and Ruka were high fiving each other, as well as doing a little victory dance (well, only Koko for that one).

Even though Natsume thankfully smiled down at Mikan, and said something back to Mochu, Mikan couldn't help but furrow her eyebrows slightly . . . even though Natsume managed to hide it well, Mikan could still see traces of loneliness and sadness swirling in his crimson eyes.

"So, it's finally time to announce who we thought fit to go on to the Fifth Round!" the crowd started to shriek in excitement and Mikan felt her heart bounce _out _of her. She clutched onto Hotaru's arm as she steadied her breathing—"Please welcome, ladies and gentlemen, Hotaru Imai, Andou Tsubasa, Mikan Sakura, Mochu and Crimson Abyss to the stage!" The crowd _roared. _

And Mikan simply gaped.

And gaped.

And gaped.

"Come on, Mikan!" Koko called, who was by now three steps in front of her. "Stop gaping!"

Mikan blinked but then looked up at Natsume who had an amused expression plastered on his face, "Come on," he gently urged, as he pulled her along with her, to the stage. With Hotaru's hand in her other hand, Mikan could only hold them both tightly; she felt as if she was going to blow away from all the noise that the crowd was making.

_So the rumours are true . . . _a person with a star tattoo mused as he followed Mikan Sakura to the stage, who was holding the hand of her best friend and Natsume Hyuuga . . . Andou Tsubasa frowned slightly—he and his friends had discussed this all, and honestly, they couldn't believe Natsume Hyuuga had 'changed'—they all claimed it to be bullshit—especially Rui. "He probably just wants to get into her pants," Onyx darkly remarked one night when they were talking about it. "I hope he doesn't do anything to Mikan—she was so sweet." Megumi added with a sincere expression on her face. And right now, Andou Tsubasa felt it was his responsibility to talk to Mikan . . . maybe after when they where not on stage in front of all these people, and maybe somewhere where Hyuuga was not holding her hand tightly.

"Congratulations, you five!" Mr. Narumi congratulated into the microphone, and when the crowd started to cheer and clap, he joined in too, standing up from his seat.

Natsume looked down at Mikan, whose cheeks were pink—she had a rather nervous smile on her face and he couldn't help want to either kiss or pinch her cheeks. Natsume also couldn't help feel extremely proud of her—after all she had been through, she had still managed to write a song, do the music and perform like _that_. Natsume couldn't care less that his band got through; right now, all he could see was Mikan's success and happiness.

**0**

"I need aqua!" Mikan announced as Koko placed her down on her feet after he had just twirled her around in the air like a fairy, "I feel so dizzy!" Mikan laughed, as she turned back to the group, who was all still segregated backstage—still congratulating each other.

"Hey, get me a cup too!" Kitsune-me asked, and Mikan only okay-ed back with her fingers before she bounced her way to the water fountain; her throat felt as dry as the Arabian desert—

Mikan abruptly stopped.

Now, she felt her throat being _constricted _as well as being dry as the fucking Arabian Desert. There, standing in front of the water fountain was Nonoko, Anna and Sumire, who seemed to be standing there rather expectantly. Mikan paused and looked at them for a few moments—they seemed to have not noticed her yet before she took in a deep breath and made her way towards them—"Hey," she greeted, and almost immediately the three girls whipped their heads in Mikan's direction.

"Oh, hi." Anna responded after a pause of no one speaking. "Um . . . oh ye—"

"Congratulations in getting in the Fifth Round." Sumire interrupted as she rather haughtily crossed her arms across her chest. Even though she was congratulating her, it sure as hell didn't _sound _like she was—her tone was . . . rather mean.

"Thanks—"

"We have to go now." Sumire interrupted again, as she stuck her chin up, "We have dinner reservation with Tsubasa and his friends and Aoi."

"Oh," Mikan said before she forcefully smiled, "hope you guys have fun then!"

"We will."

Mikan swallowed rather thickly as Sumire and Anna turned their backs on Mikan and started to make their way to God know's where. Nonoko, on the other hand lingered for a few seconds, and remarked, "I just got off the phone to Aoi a few seconds ago. She said that the dress looked really good on you and there's no point returning it to her."

"Oh," Mikan smiled at Nonoko thankfully but before she could thank her properly, Sumire's voice barked: "Hurry up, Nonoko! We don't want to lose our reservation—and I'm fucking starving!"

Nonoko threw Mikan one final glance before she made her way towards her twin and friend, laughing, "Honey, I thought you were on a diet—"

"Screw the diet!" Mikan heard Sumire response, and she listened to what Sumire said even though her voice was getting more distant by the second, "Buddha was happy and he was fat. Victoria Beckham on the other hand always looks like there's a sock under her nose and she's skinny. Go figure!"

Mikan looked down at her body; her hand felt her stomach and she felt a bit of podge on it and under her dress she could feel the top of her thighs touching a bit . . . she was much bigger than Sumire than Sumire but she doubted that she was much happier than Sumire. Her theory was proved wrong. Mikan took two plastic cups and held them under the water fountain, as she looked up to the ceiling, feeling tears well in her eyes. Unknown to her, there was a pair of crimson eyes watching this scence, from being to end. And honestly, he felt damn responsible for what had just happened.

**0**

After Mikan had taken a few deep breaths, she returned back to her friends, and held out the cup of water that was filled to the brim to Kitsune-me, "There you go!"

"Aw, cheers Sakura!"

Mikan shrugged off the thanks as she took another dainty sip out of her own cup. Suddenly, she felt her breath hitch when she felt a pair of warm arms snake around her waist; she looked back to see Natsume looking at her with concern etched in his eyes. "Hey, Natsume—you alright?" Mikan softly asked as she touched his hand with her own hand.

"Yeah, I'm fine . . . are _you _alright? I saw Shouda—"

"Natsume, honestly, enough about me. This is about _you_, not me!"

Natsume paused before he blinked and a grimace was now present on his face, "But when it comes down to it, the reason you've lost all your friends is because of me. If Shouda didn't hate me so much . . . as well as my sister—"

Mikan now freed herself from Natsume's arms, and whirled around to him, as she said in a voice loud enough for Natsume but quiet enough for the rest not to be able to hear: "Your sister doesn't hate you." Her words were firm and so were her eyes that were rested on Natsume's crimson eyes. Mikan sighed as nothing but disbelief crossed Natsume's eyes but then, she gently took his hand again and quietly exclaimed, "Come on, Natsume. Let's get out of here."

And for once, Mikan was the one leading Natsume away, not the other way around.

But they didn't manage to slip away without anybody seeing them—no, Luna Koizumi's big blue eyes were narrowed as she watched them quickly and swiftly leave the backstage. Jealousy, anger and frustration was coursing through her veins furiously; who the _fuck _does Mikan Sakura think she is? From a small town from _nowhere_ she suddenly appears and manages not only to be successful and winning the hearts of the judges but _also _manages to capture the heart of Natsume Hyuuga—the guy _she _had her eyes on.

"Bitch," Luna hissed as her nose subconsciously flared. And that bitch, Luna decided, needs to be punished.

**0**

After first, Mikan had no idea where she was taking Natsume, but it was as if her feet took control of her—one minute they were walking down the corridors of the Academy silently, and then her foot sharply turned left and they were suddenly in a music room. A music room where a grand piano stood in the centre. They did not bother to turn the lights on; the moonlight draped mystically on the piano, which shined through the large closed windows. Slowly, Mikan led Natsume to the piano . . . and sat down on the stool. Glancing at Natsume, and seeing his eyes on her, Mikan then focused her attention back on the piano and carefully pulled the cover off the keys. "You know, Natsume, it isn't only Hotaru who knows how to play the piano," she softly remarked, "Hotaru taught me the basics when I was younger. A-And a few weeks ago, Natsume, I had this urge to learn this song, so I got Hotaru to write all the music down on paper. And—" her fingers now were rested on the keys as she finally said, "I think I've got it."

And then, her fingers sunk down into the keys of the piano.

Natsume's eyes immediately widened when he realized _what _this song was . . .

**Marie Digby  
What I've Done Acoustic Version  
(watch?v=Ohzf9LUCuVQ)**

_In this farewell_

_There's no blood_

_There's no alibi_

_Cause I've drawn regret_

_From the truth_

_Of a thousand lies_

_So let mercy come_

_And wash away_

_What I've done_

_I'll face myself_

_To cross out what I've become_

_Erase myself_

_And let go of what I've done_

_Put to rest_

_What you thought of me_

_While I clean this slate_

_With the hands_

_Of uncertainty_

_So let mercy come_

_And wash away_

_What I've done_

_I'll face myself_

_To cross out what I've become_

_Erase myself_

_And let go of what I've done_

_Of what I've done_

_Start again_

_And whatever pain may come_

_Today this ends_

_I'm forgiving what I've done_

_I'll face myself_

_To cross out what I've become_

_Erase myself_

_And let go of what I've done_

_Of what I've done_

Once the song, which was originally _Crimson Abyss_'s ended, Mikan looked to her side—halfway through the song, Natsume had slowly sat down next to Mikan on the piano stool. He had been watching Mikan with fascination the whole time and swallowed thickly when the piece had ended. Mikan observed him silently; he looked as if somebody had wrenched his heart out from his chest. Slowly, she drifted her hand from the piano to his hand, and warmly cupped them around his.

"You," Natsume started, his voice raspy, "—you said my sister doesn't hate me before . . . you're wrong."

"Natsu—"

"She nearly died because of me, three years ago. On my birthday, at my birthday party. And it was all my fault."

**0**

**End of Chapter**

**0**


	31. Natsume's Confession

**P****ら****Disclaimer: **I don't own Alice Gakuen peeps.

**0**

**My Happy Ending  
**_**by Little Miss Giggle**_

**0**

**Chapter Twenty Seven: Natsume's Confession**

**0**

_I don't need no superman, with special powers and a fake tan,  
to try and save the day for me.  
Why can't he just let me be?_

**0**

"_She nearly died because of me, three years ago. On my birthday. And it was all my fault."_

. . .

**Natsume Hyuuga, 14 years old.  
September 17****th**

Natsume sighed as arrived at his front door. Their house wasn't too big, nor was it too small—it was just bigger than an average house, with a pretty spacious garden that had a swing that his little sister loved to use. Plunging his key into the keyhole, he reminded himself of what he had to do tonight—it was Friday night, meaning his father would be home early from work. A normal kid would love to see their father after hardly seeing him the whole week, but not Natsume Hyuuga. In fact, Natsume dreaded it—it made his Friday's like a Monday but worse if possible.

Takeshi Hyuuga was the head of the Hyuuga household. A man with a few words, Takeshi was a stern tall man with black hair and dull black eyes. Seeing a smile on his face was extremely rare; Natsume could only ever recall his father actually smiling once in his life—when he was doing his job. If Natsume didn't know any better he would have guessed that his father loved his job more than anything else in the world, including his own family.

His job? Takeshi Hyuuga was a lawyer—a hell of a good one at it too. Takeshi was hardly ever at home in Sapporo instead usually he would go down to Tokyo to take care of some big cases and always came back with a boring story to tell to the family and a big wad of cash. He wasn't exactly what anybody would call a family orientated father.

And Natsume only knew too well his father wanted him to be like him—a lawyer. And he was tired of being of what his father wanted him to be. But Takeshi was horrified (maybe even disgusted) when Natsume had told him one night he didn't want to walk in his father's shoes and follow his path; instead, he wanted to be in a band, with his friends. His father's response was harsh, and not even his mother could say anything when he shouted at Natsume for saying such 'unacceptable' things. "A singer is a pathetic excuse of a job, Natsume." He had told Natsume, "It's unworthy. You better dispose of this unrealistic dream now before I force it out of you."

After being told that, Natsume felt like his dreams had burnt out, and they had been, _by his own father. _His mother on the other hand had encouraged this dream of Natsume, but when her husband exclaimed it 'unacceptable', Natsume's mother could only support his dream from the shadows—she would pay for his guitar lessons with her own credit card, that were held privately at school and never informed her husband about it.

And for that, Natsume was grateful. But in some sense he resented his mother for being so weak—all this secret lessons was her idea but somehow she didn't ask him questions about it when she picked him up; she acted innocent.

His biggest fan (and favourite family member) was definitely his little sister, Aoi.

As soon as Natsume closed the door behind him, there was an excited squeal from the living room and before Natsume could sigh, Aoi's arms were tightly wound around Natsume's chest—"Welcome home, Natsume!" she sang happily.

"Hi, Aoi . . ." Natsume tiredly replied, as he extracted Aoi's arms away from him, before he made his way up the stairs.

"Hey!" Aoi called. "Where you going? Mummy's made cake—"

"It's Friday. I have to go hide my music."

Aoi's confused face immediately dissolved into a rather serious one. "Oh yeah . . ." she murmured, and Natsume didn't miss her trembling lip. Aoi herself wasn't sure these days if she loved her father like a normal daughter did, but she was more than sure a normal daughter _wasn't _supposed to be terrified of her father . . . not to mention, not know who he was. It was as if her father was a stranger to her—she didn't even know his favourite colour! All she knew was that, well, he was a lawyer and he enjoyed to kick people's arses, in the non-literal sense. Aoi, after chewing on her lip, smiled and looked up at her brother and said, "Well, after you're done with that, come down! Mummy and I are sweeping up the leaves in the garden—you can help us!"

"Okay—give me five minutes."

"_And _we can eat cake!"

This was a normal day in life for Natsume. Nothing special, nothing new. A typical Friday afternoon . . . little did he know that it was all to change in a few months time.

**Natsume Hyuuga, 15 years old  
November 27****th**

His fifteenth birthday was on a Saturday. It was a clear day, surprisingly nice for November, he evaluated, as he finished his call with his friend, Koko. Koko had been begging for the last week for Natsume to have a house party on his birthday—but Natsume's answer was firm and simple: no.

"_Why not?"_ Koko had asked over the phone in a whiny tone.

"Because I hate parties. You know that." Had been Natsume's simple reply. "Besides, I have to take care of my sister tonight—both my parents are out tonight at my dad's business dinner or something—"

"_Wait . . . you're telling me you have a _free _house tonight? And you're not having a party?" _

_And that my parents are leaving me for my birthday, yeah. _

"Yeah."

Natsume had heard a sigh from Koko then, before he answered, _"I guess it's your birthday, man! But we're still on for tonight, right? You, me, Ruka and Kitsune-me?"_

"Yeah, yeah." Natsume had confirmed, glad that Koko had gotten off his back about having a party tonight. It was true when Natsume had said he hated parties—he had been to a house party once, and honestly thought that was _enough_. The drinking, the shrieking, and the loud weird music—he hated it all. Honestly, he would have rather been at home watching some crappy TV, or writing lyrics than go to another house party.

It was only nine in the morning when he had hung up on Koko—his two other best friends had called him before Koko had, all wishing him a happy birthday—and he felt rather bored. And lonely.

It was his fifteenth birthday and his parents were going to be out. Even though what he felt for his dad was closer to resent than love, it still hurt—it still hurt to think what happened last night at dinner; his father was hardly at the dinner table, instead, on his BlackBerry in the hallway and when he returned he announced that he had to go to a business meeting the next day and commanded his wife to join him.

"B-But daddy," Aoi exclaimed, her voice wavering a bit, "it's Natsume's birthday tomorrow! You _and _mummy can't just—"

"It is?" his father questioned, looking at Natsume with an astonished look.

_Owch._

Takeshi swallowed before he cleared his voice and asked, "Well . . . how old are you going to be again?"

"Fifteen." was Natsume's rather blunt answer and his voice wasn't too friendly either. Nor were his eyes that were rested rather calmly on his father's. And through all this, Aoi bit her lip anxiously while his mother concentrated on her food intently.

"Oh fifteen's a pointless age. Nothing changes, does it?" Takeshi questioned and when Natsume didn't reply, he hit the table, which caused Natsume, Aoi and their mother to all jump in their seats in sync, not to mention blink. "Does it?" his rather demanded again, his voice much fiercer as he gazed at his son with such hot ferocity it should have burned him.

"No, it doesn't." Natsume responded with his voice constricted and tight. It felt as if air couldn't get to his lungs under his father's fierce scrutiny.

Honestly, he was scared of his father.

**0**

After speaking to Ruka again, he arranged for his friends to come to his house at around 6pm (his parents were to leave at 5.30pm so it would be perfect) and currently, it was 4:38pm, and honestly he couldn't wait till his father left to this goddamn business dinner he was so desperate to go to. So far, he had only received two presents—one from his sister and one from his mother. His mother had bought him a book, a classic, a J.D Salinger book while his sister bought him a colourful box of guitar picks.

He was sitting on the couch, blankly watching the television when he suddenly heard his father shout from the floor above, "Has anybody seen my white shirt?"

Natsume couldn't help roll his eyes; his fathers had _millions _of white shirts, for Chrissake that was all he _wore. _

"In your closet, dear?" he heard his mother suggest, and her voice sounded closer to him as he sighed. Aoi was watching television with him too; she sat on a different couch with a bag of crisps nestled safely in her lap. Both of them, even though they didn't tell each other knew that they were both listening to the conversation above them, just in case.

"No, my white shirt with the black buttons! The smart shirt!"

Natsume lightly scoffed. All shirts were smart.

They could both hear footsteps above them as the silently sat and after a while, the sound of the television was all that they heard. Natsume's crimson eyes glanced towards Aoi, and he saw her now breath out a sigh of relief and her gaze turned back towards the television. Momentarily, Natsume thought everything was okay too—he thought that, they both did, until they heard an ear piercing crash.

The sound of something cracking, smashing and hitting were heard from above and immediately, as if it were a reflex action, Natsume and Aoi stood up from the couch and both dashed up the stairs—what had happened—

"Takeshi, what's wrong?" they heard their mother's voice and thanks to that, they slowed down a bit and now cautiously walked up the remainder of the stairs. And once they reached it, Natsume turned back to look at Aoi and stretched out his hand out towards her, blocking her path. "Stay here, Aoi." Natsume quietly murmured as he looked at her worried looking face. She mouthed an 'okay' back before she watched her beloved brother make his way down the corridor, where they both heard the crash from.

Natsume carefully treaded his way towards the source of the noise, and he knew his mother came down this way too, judging from the loudness and clarity of her voice before and sudden fear and dread started to course through his veins as he turned the corner—around the corner, he knew, was his room.

Natsume felt as if his breath had been knocked out of him as he saw his mother outside his door, both her hands clamped to her mouth in shock. Her eyes, he noted, were also widened in fear and they were gazed at the inside of Natsume's room. Natsume swallowed thickly when he saw the shadow of his father painted on the wooden floors as he proceeded to make his way towards the door of his room. "Mum," he quietly called, "what's wron—"

"Natsume. Come here."

It was a cold command from the inside of his room. Natsume's heartbeat jumped in fright and even his hand was uncontrollably shaking in fear. He took in a rather feeble breath before he made his way towards his room, passing his terror-stricken mother, who did nothing but nervously and hopefully look at her son.

And that's when Natsume saw what was broken—what _he _had broke, _smashed. _It was guitar, shattered on the floor—the wire strings were the only things still connecting the broken pieces of the guitar. He noticed his closet the door was wrenched open too . . . and damn, Natsume felt as if his goddamn body had been splintered into several pieces then and there. He was speechless; he didn't know what to say; what to do either, motionless.

"I told you Natsume," came the forbidding and cruelly formal voice of his father, "that _I _will be the one forcing this petty dream out of you if you didn't do so yourself." Natsume couldn't look at his father, only at his broken guitar. "I told you also clearly back then that I do not _care _if you and your foolish friends were scouted by some famous producer, I say that you discard this impolitic idea of yours and click back into reality. You're being childish and honestly just pathetic. Having a son like you is an embarrassment." And with those harsh words, Takeshi Hyuuga pushed past his disquiet son and his now-crying wife. Within a few seconds, they both heard Takeshi slam close the door to the study and that was when Asuka, Natsume's mother, quickly shuffled her way to her numb son and clumsily pulled him into a hug.

Natsume's emotionless eyes were still fixated on the mess on the floor—his guitar. His _guitar, _which symbolized his dream was crashed and smashed on the floor by his father. _He probably went to my room to see if his shirt was in my closet. _Natsume realised in a senseless manner. And in his closet, his mother and sister knew, was where he hid his dreams from his father.

Both Asuka and Natsume heard a gasp from the door, and Asuka turned around to see her little daughter, her eyes wide and petrified. Natsume on the other hand kept his gaze firmly on his guitar.

"Natsume, are you okay?" came the voice of his sister and he also felt her fingers touch his arm but as if by reflex, he flinched and turned around to look at her and his mother. Both were momentarily speechless at the look on Natsume's face—his eyes, which were usually lit up by the fire in his soul looked like a dark bottomless pit. His eyes were a crimson abyss.

"Leave me for a bit." It was statement, which came out like a question too, and Aoi couldn't help but wince at her brother's frosty and unfeeling voice but nevertheless, she nodded. And his mother, well, another frail sob escaped from her lips as she said, "I'm so sorry, Natsume." He couldn't face either of them, instead his eyes were shifted back to his broken guitar. And after that, the door closed beside them and Natsume spiritlessly and gingerly crouched down and picked up a bit of the wood from his acoustic guitar.

That's when Natsume realised he hated his father.

**0**

Nothing but sinfully contagious malevolent thoughts could enter his mind; Natsume's initial shock was now dispersed, and now, all he felt course through his veins were anger, rage and hatred. It was his birthday. And instead of getting him something, his father decides to kill his dream.

The house had been quiet since then, Natsume registered as his crimson eyes darkly glared at his door. He didn't know how long he had been in his room thinking only of sinister and destructive thoughts, but he assumed it was nearly time for his parents to leave to that bloody dinner. He hated his father. He hated his father. He hated his father. And just on cue, his ear picked up the sound of his father loudly calling his wife: "Asuka! We're leaving!"

Natsume stood up from the floor and ignoring the numbness in his leg he strided and made his way over to his window and looked down into the world, down into their car park. There, he saw his father, getting into his Mercedes and his eyes immediately narrowed. He hated him. He hated him. He hated him.

_I cannot take this anymore  
I'm saying everything I've said before  
All these words they make no sense  
I find bliss in ignorance  
Less I hear the less you'll say  
But you'll find that out anyway._

As he watched his mother scurry into the car after his father, he felt a painful prick of betrayal from his mother—but deep down he knew she only followed his orders because she was scared of him.

Coward.

The car's engine, he heard, was being started, and he watched silently as it started to move back into the dimming streets of the rural parts of Sapporo. While he observed, he fished his phone out from pockets and rather forcefully punched in the number that belonged to Ruka and brought it to his ear.

"_Hey Natsu—"_

"Ruka. Listen to me."

". . . Dude, you okay? You sound—"

"Shut up and listen to me." Natsume raucously interrupted and almost immediately Ruka shut up.

**0**

"_Shut up and listen to me_." Ruka open mouth shut close by reflex as he heard the fierce voice of his best friend, and just by it, he knew something was wrong. Something was just not right. But nevertheless, he kept his mouth closed and waited for Natsume to continue. _"I've decided," _came Natsume's voice, the same cruel voice as before, _"that we're going to have a house party at mine tonight."_

"What?" Ruka barked as he incredulously raised his eyebrows, "Natsume, I think Koko was kidding, he knows you hate parties; we don't have to have a hou—"

"_Invite everybody from the year. And tell them to invite their friends outside of school."_

"Natsume, what's wrong?" Ruka worriedly asked, his tone urgent as he now stood up from his seat. He was currently sitting in a local Starbucks—he had just finished buying Natsume his birthday present and went in to buy a drink and a packet of crisps. "What are you talking about—"

"_Nothing's wrong," _snapped the voice of Natsume from the other line, _"just do as I said—ask Koko and Kitsune-me to do it too. Send a chain text or whatever, I don't give." _And with that, Natsume hung up. Ruka could only blink and stare at his phone in shock momentarily before he put it down on the table. He sat back down on his seat and then as if something big had hit him, he groaned. In fact, something big _had _hit him. "Something must've happened with the parents." He muttered to himself, as covered his face with his hands. God, Mr. Hyuuga really was a dickhead to make his son upset on his birthday. But Ruka bit his lip; for some reason, he had a feeling this wasn't the usual 'upset' Natsume. There was something darker about the whole thing. He just prayed Natsume knew what the hell he was doing.

**0**

Natsume commanded Aoi to go up to the third floor, which was a floor only occupied by Aoi, and Aoi didn't even have the courage to ask her own brother _why _because the way he demanded her to go upstairs and _stay_ there no matter what for the rest of the night, was well, in such a cruel way it almost reminded her of her father. So without complaint, Aoi Hyuuga went up to her room and decided to try out some new hairstyles she found in her magazine, but while doing so, her eyebrows furrowed—loud booming music was now playing below, she could feel the vibration on her floor. To drown out the noisy sound from below, she took out her iPod from her desk drawer and put the earphones in her ears, turning the volume to the maximum.

Ah. Much better.

She looked at the clock hung up on the wall—6:27pm, before she took a glance outside her window; it was already dark, the Winter's in the North of Japan were usually dark she knew, and it was already coming to an end of November.

As desperate as she was to see what was going on downstairs, she decided to follow her brother's orders, after all, it was his birthday. And honestly, after seeing that complete lost look in Natsume's eyes earlier and not doing anything about it, she felt she deserved to be locked up. She failed at being a sister, then, she believed. She knew that Natsume would really only open his heart to her in the family, _especially _when it was _about _the family. And when he needed her the most before, she wasn't there. She left him.

But she was worried. Worried of the crimson abyss that lied in his eyes.

**0**

All Natsume could hear was loud pumping music that seeped into his body, which caused his heartbeat to beat in sync with the suffocating music. The party had only started a fair few minutes ago, but it seemed like his friends did manage to do what they were told: invite people. People he didn't even recognize were walking in the halls of his house, and before he was a bit intoxicated, as he was now, he clearly told them _not _to go upstairs to the third floor (as Aoi was shut in there). He wasn't even sure if they listened; all he knew was that there were about sixty people altogether in his house, jamming; talking; drinking or making out on his couch and he was sure there were more to come.

Natsume wasn't though, entirely sure who brought the alcohol (although he guessed he really wouldn't be able to pin-point it on _one _person, but a group of them who probably had older siblings) but he definitely had a fair few cups of whatever the hell it was. Natsume liked how it burned his throat as it trickled down, and how it managed to lightly numb the pain he was feeling inside. Even though it dimmed it, Natsume still felt a pang of pain that was created by his own father.

Natsume was sober enough to look for his friends on two feet—he craned his neck as he walked towards the living room, to see if Koko was in the crowd, cheering, "Drink, drink!" but he didn't spot the sandy brown hair. But he _did _spot Ruka's blonde hair in the dimmed room—Ruka was sitting on the couch, surrounded by a little crowd of girls—girls with tacky dyed hair and fake eye colour. Natsume scoffed and rolled his eyes at the girls who were currently all squealing, "Ehmagawd, is your hair really blonde? You're half French, right?" Natsume's expression dissolved to a rather dark amusement when he saw Lucas squirming rather uncomfortably in his seat.

"Oi," Natsume called, causing the bimbos and Ruka to snap their heads in his direction. And almost immediately, all the girls' eyes twinkled with desire at the sight of Natsume. "Ruka—"

"Oh. My. GAWD." One of the girls interrupted, her makeup-ed eyes widening, "are your eyes real?"

"Yeah," Natsume offhandedly replied before he turned his attention back to his best friend ("Are you a vampire?" another girl asked, but he decided to ignore that despicably idiotic question), "have you seen—"

"Koko? Or Kitsune-me? Either way," Ruka quickly stood up from the couch and unclawed himself from the girls, "I'll help you find them." The girls, realizing their French beau was leaving them, all started to whine as Ruka made his way (well escaped) from them to Natsume. "Thank you," he muttered under his breath as he and Natsume started to make their way away from the girls who still eyed them both in a longing manner.

"No problem. I owed you one anyway from the time at the game arcade."

Ruka smiled in memory before he laughed, but then he observantly glanced at Natsume and questioned, "You alright then, Natsume?"

"Yeah, I just had a bit to drink." was Natsume's simple answer, but when he looked at Ruka he knew his best friend didn't mean _that _okay.

"No, mate," Ruka sighed, confirming his thoughts, "I _meant _are _you _okay? I can tell something's happened—"

"My dad smashed my guitar." Natsume interrupted in a toneless and emotionless voice. At first, Ruka could only blink but then his eyes attenuated in sincerity. "Oh Natsume. I'm so sorry."

Natsume only shrugged before he said, "Stop looking at me like that. You're making me question your sexuality, Ruka."

At first Ruka blinked before a lazy grin made his way to his face. He added a punch to Natsume's shoulder before he exclaimed, "Come on; let's go find those two—"

Suddenly, a scream was heard. And it wasn't an '_Omg I haven't seen you in forevaah!' _scream. It was more of a '_I'm going to die.' _sort of scream. Immediately, after glancing at each other for a nanosecond, both Natsume and Ruka sprinted in the direction they heard the scream from—it was from the living room, where they just were, and when they entered both their eyes widened. Natsume was at loss of words, and immediately he felt his throat constrict—people were all turning their heads, gasping and shrieking, to the couches, where the group of boys were congregated earlier daring each other to drink.

A fire was licking at the couches, and before Natsume could process what was going on, fire was starting to _engulf _the couch.

"Shit!" a boy cried, as he tried to take it out with his jacket furiously, smashing it. But nothing happened, the fires fought back, snapping viciously at the boy. "Fuck, guys—"

"What happened?" Natsume shouted through the screaming; girls and boys were desperately pushing their ways out of the living room now ardent to escape. "What happened?" Natsume demanded as he took a step towards the group of boys, while Ruka shouted after him: "Natsume we can talk about that later, we have to get _out!_"

Natsume ignored Ruka's comment and swore and instead of going to the boys, he roughly pushed past them and he started in vain to try take the fire out with his hoodie he pulled off his head, but it was spreading fast like canker in a flower; it was flickering at him and Natsume swore again when the flames hissed at his hands. People by now were all screaming, "Fire!" and he could tell by the footsteps that they were all evacuating out.

"Dude, we're real sorry, it was our—" a boy nervously started, shouting nonetheless, edging closer to Natsume, but Natsume only responded by pushing him, _all _of them, and exclaimed, "We have to get out. Now!" and with that, he pushed them harder and told Ruka to get out of the room too. He slammed the door behind them as they quickly made their way to the front door.

Once they were out of the Hyuuga household, Natsume and Ruka were immediately met by Koko and Kitsune-me, who immediately started to ask different questions at the same time, but both questions were along the lines of: "Natsume what the FUCK happened?"

Instead of answering to that, Natsume shouted, "Has anybody phoned 911?"

"Yeah, I have!" a voice he did not recognize loudly replied

Natsume heaved a breath as he turned back to look at his house. "Natsume . . ." Ruka quietly called, his tone etched with worry, but before he could say anymore, Natsume growled and loudly said, "Is everybody here?" There was a murmur of answers as Natsume glanced at the window of the living room—everything in there now was being marked by red hot flames, even the family painting hung up on the wall. He remembered learning in physics lessons learning that fire's actually spread at an increasing rate, and he knew by now it should have spread to maybe the dining room, edging towards the hallway and the staircase.

He knew the consequences he was going to have to face. He knew his father was going to kill him. He knew that.

But there was something still missing.

"Natsume . . .?" Koko cautiously prompted as he peered into Natsume's red eyes, which by reflection had the fires etched deep into them too. His gaze was focused on the family painting which was being turned to nothing by seconds; the flames were spreading from his face to his father's to his mother's to Aoi's . . .

Suddenly from inside the house, somebody screamed, and immediately everybody gasped realizing what this meant.

Somebody was stuck inside.

"Oh shit," Kistune-me murmured, "oh shi—"

"Aoi."

"W-Wha—" but before any of the three could question his sudden outburst, Natsume was sprinting back into the house as quick as the wind and immediately everybody started to mutter to each other and some even started to cry. Other's started to pray. The shock of it all was overwhelming, and when Natsume opened the door they could all see the fire had already licked its way up the staircase—the staircase Natsume had just flown up.

"Natsume!" Ruka fiercely called after, and he too try to follow Natsume into the house but he was stopped by both Koko and Kitsune-me who shouted, "No, dude! You can't! It's dangerous!"

Gritting his teeth in frustration, as his two friends gripped each of his arms tightly, Ruka watched the fire burning inside the house intently; this was not supposed to happen, this was not supposed to happen . . . _how _did this happen?

Ruka managed to get Koko and Kitsune-me off his arms but instead of moving forward, Ruka whipped his head back and looked at everybody still crowded around Natsume's house. He knew this—the fire started from the living room mostly likely by the group of boys congregated by the couch. "Who knows what happened?" Ruka demanded to the crowd as he scanned it for the boys. "I said, who knows how the fire in there started?"

There was a few moment of silence but then timidly a boy stepped out from the crowd and made his way towards Ruka, Koko and Kitsune-me. They all took in that this boy was about their age and had bleached blonde hair and a pair of brown eyes. "I-It was our fault."

And without any warning, Ruka aimed a punch right in his face.

Koko gasped as he saw Ruka completely unwind before his eyes; _never _in his life had he seen Ruka completely lose control like that, never. He was shouting now, to the boy, demanding him who else knew _exactly _what happened as he held him by the collar.

"Ruka!" Kitsune-me cried, as he now wrenched Ruka off the boy, "Calm down, mate!"

"Calm _down?_" Ruka repeated, venom in his voice, "How can I calm _down _when my best friend just went in that house to save his little sister whose stuck in there?"

Everybody all gasped at this new information, for it was only Ruka who knew about Natsume sending his little sister to her room, as he was at his house early, well before the party had started. "What?" Koko exclaimed, as he turned his head to the house with his eyes widened, "_Aoi _is in the house?"

"Yes!" Ruka almost screamed back, "On the third floor! And now they might both be dead, and you're telling me to _calm down?_"

Everybody by now were praying for the two Hyuuga siblings and all casted their eyes on the house which by now was roaring in flames. Suddenly, somebody informed by shouting, "I can hear sirens! It's probably the fire brigade!" Everybody immediately turned around, and started to mutter and murmur to each other while they all listened out carefully for the sirens too, and thank God they all _did _hear it, and closer and closer were the sounds of the sirens getting.

**0**

As Natsume dashed up the stairs, he pulled the hood of his hoodie up and shielded his head carefully from any flames. He went up the stairs taking three steps at once and when he arrived to the second floor, he registered that the fire had even made its way up the stairs to Aoi's room. And suddenly, Aoi screamed again, a raw scream that pierced Natsume's heart and immediately after hearing it, Natsume shouted, "Aoi! I'm coming!" With speed he never knew he had in him, Natsume ran up the stairs—the flames were much tamer up there, but they were still _there _nonetheless and once he saw Aoi's door, he slammed it open.

And goddamn, no feelings could describe how Natsume felt then and there when he saw his little sister cowering on the floor, her face wet from tears, her whole body _shaking. _"Aoi!" he cried again, "Are you alright?" His eyes inspected her, there were no burns no cuts or bruises but just a small girl crying on the floor. Her blood red eyes peered up at him as she sobbed and Natsume on impulse crouched down and pulled her in his arms for a hug. He could feel her pounding heart as well as how much she was actually shaking and he understood: this was his entirefault.

He surprised himself when he felt dampness in the corner of his own eyes. Right then and there, he wanted to die. Seeing his sister like that and knowing he was the one who caused her so much trauma, he wanted the flames to eat him up. It was his fault, this party; his birthday was just all a big mistake, if he hadn't lost his temper—his _mind_, he wouldn't have even come out with such a stupid idea. What killed him the most was that he _forgot _about his sister when he escaped the house for the first time; maybe it was the alcohol or maybe it was just him. But as much as he wanted to die, he had priorities, and the top priority was to get his sister out of the house. Maybe he was more like his father than he thought.

"Come on, Aoi." He urged as stood up, holding her hand tightly so she followed his actions. The poor girl could hardly stand up straight on her feet and seeing this, Natsume grabbed his hoodie by the hem and ripped it off him, only to place it on his sister's head and bare shoulders, before he locked her in his grip—one hand on her left shoulder and the other tightly holding her right shoulder. "We are going to have to run. Can you do that?"

Even though it was feeble, Aoi nodded.

"Cover your nose and mouth with my hoodie, all right? Don't breath in the smoke. And make sure your shoulder is covered at all times, okay?"

This time Aoi whimpered as she nodded.

And with that, Natsume tightened his grip on her and the two of them flew down the stairs and once they reached the second floor, Natsume heard Aoi let out a watery gasp, and he knew exactly why. The second floor was a sea of flames, and the amount and ferocity of it was so great the two siblings could hardly _see _the stairs that lead them to the first floor—led them _out _of this hellhole.

Natsume wasn't stupid. He knew by the sounds, smell and colour of fire that their chance of survival was less than 50percent. He could also tell by the way it was now hissing and snapping at _everything, _the flames were desperately trying to find something new to burn, and that something would be them. His eyes were watering from the concentration of the smoke, and he could feel his throat burn every time he breathed in, but Natsume was determined—he wasn't going to let his sister die, no, no way. She was still young, and she was so good; _she doesn't deserve to die like this_, Natsume thought to himself, _she should die in a warm bed while somebody she loves holds her hand tightly as she passes away from this world. When she's 110 with ten grandchildren. Not now with me._

"Aoi," Natsume loudly said, finally after a few seconds of just observing the fire, he looked down at his little sister, "we are just going to have to run through the flames

"R-Run?" Aoi's voice squeaked as her eyes widened by the slightest.

Natsume nodded. "Run as fast as you can alright?"

Tears were squirming out of her eyes as she forced herself to nod bravely. Natsume felt her small hands tighten around his own hand and Natsume let out a steady breath before he said, "Ready? . . . _Go!" _and with that, Natsume dashed into the flames, pulling his sister along with him into the gateway of death. He tried not to swear when he felt sudden painful stabs touch his body—whenever he came in contact with the flames, he felt as if a hot poker stick was being imprinted onto him. Nevertheless, Natsume kept a firm, _firm _grip on his little sister. He knew he had to get to the stairs and _down _them as quickly as possible, especially as Aoi was only wearing a little skirt with a pair of think black tights. He suddenly heard her give a loud gasp, and he whipped his head back to see Aoi had dropped his hoodie, meaning her shoulder was now completely bare in this sea of flames.

"Don't go back!" Natsume ordered as he felt his sister stretch to retrieve it. But he knew what this meant—they had to escape from this house quicker now that there was a chance Aoi could get her back burnt.

They were close now, so close to the stairs; another few steps, but then Aoi screamed. Natsume turned around again and he understood why—her shoulder, both of them, were a scalding red. Thinking only of his sister, Natsume immediately ripped his shirt off and quickly but albeit carefully placed it on his sister's shoulders. "Come on, Aoi," he rasped, "you can do it. We only have a bit left."

Even with a pained face and tears in her eyes, Aoi nodded, before she held onto the shirt tightly, making sure it was secure so it wouldn't slip off like the hoodie. With that, they both started to run through the flames again and Natsume could feel the raw heat of the fire gnaw at his arms. It was hot; it was so very hot . . .

They had finally reached the stairs, and Natsume coughed loudly as they both thundered down it—his head felt light headed from all the smoke he inhaled, his throat was burning, his arms were on the brink of second degree burn; but he couldn't give up now, they was so close, so very very close . . .

They both could see the exit and both, using up that last bit of energy they didn't know they had stored in them, Natsume and Aoi Hyuuga managed to fly out of the house. They had done it. They had escaped.

"Natsume! Aoi!" voices were shouting and calling and the last thing Natsume saw before he passed out was people's faces—faces of people he didn't know, and they were all crying or looking sincere. He even managed to catch a glimpse of Ruka, Koko and Kitsune-me, them three were crowded around him and his sister, before everything went dark in Natsume's world.

Not just literally but metaphorically too.

**0**

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

Natsume's closed eyes started to tense and actually _move _when he registered the sounds around him—all he could hear was a steady beeping sound in his bed. His fingers grazed the bed sheets, which felt rather rough and papery and the sense in his nose started to kick in too; he could smell anti-bacterial and a distinct smell that reminded him of his great-grandmother.

His mind was functioning, but after a few seconds past his eyes snapped open.

Hospital. It smelt like a hospital.

As soon as his eyes adjusted to the unnatural brightness, he groaned, but before he could do much more, he was suddenly embraced by a woman, a woman that smelt of anti-ageing cream and perfume. He winced a bit; his arms and left shoulder was stinging like _hell_. "Oh Natsume!" she cried, emotionally, "Thank God. Thank _God _you're alright!"

"M-Mother?"

"Shhhh, lie back down Natsume, you need the rest."

Following her kind orders, he rested his head back down and looked blankly at the ceiling. Hospital? He asked himself mentally. What was he doing there—and why the hell were his arms so painful? Natsume shifted his arms on top of his torso only to be surprised when he saw they were both encased in a cast. His fingers were bandaged and only his thumb was visible. Gazing down at his arms with bewilderment, his eyebrows furrowed—why was he . . .

Flashes of vicious orange flames suddenly flashed in his mind, accompanied by a scream—a scream that belonged to his sister. Natsume's crimson eyes immediately widened as he shot up from his position, causing his mother to jump with surprise. "Natsume—"

"Aoi. How is she?" he demanded, as he looked at his mother. "Is she alright?" His heart started to pound and cold sweat started to form when he saw the look on his mother's face. She was looking from left to right and she was fidgeting with her fingers. "Mother, where's Aoi?" he asked again, this time more slowly and more quietly.

"She's alright, dear. She's just still asleep." His mother reassured him rather vaguely after a pause of nothing. But he wasn't stupid; he could tell by the emotion in his mother's eyes that his sister was all but fine.

This was his entire fault.

"I'm so sorry—"

"Shh, we can talk about it tomorrow." His mother interrupted before she let out a little sigh. Of relief or of irritation, Natsume couldn't quite tell. "Your friends are actually waiting outside," Asuka continued, "but do you want me to tell them to come back tomorrow?"

"No." Natsume firmly replied. "Let them in."

Asuka smiled as she slightly bent down so her hand could caress her son's cheek. "Okay, I will. But they have to leave soon, alright?" once he nodded, she straightened up her posture and made her way for the door. "I'm going to go check on your sister, but I'll be back soon."

Natsume nodded again but just before Mrs. Hyuuga's hand touched the door handle he asked, "Where's . . . Dad?"

He could see even, if her back was turned, that she tensed immediately when Mr. Hyuuga was mentioned. Natsume's felt his throat go dry as he waited for his mother to say something, and finally she replied, "He stayed at the dinner. But he'll be back first thing tomorrow. And I'm warning you now Natsume," she turned back to look at him, her eyes serious, "he's not happy."

"He shouldn't be. I ruined the house. I nearly killed my sister."

Mrs. Hyuuga's gaze flickered down to the floor as her red lips thinned at his statement. "I'm glad you realize the gravity of this situation Natsume. Alcohol was being served to underage teenagers and what's worse one of them could have _died _in the fire. It's a miracle you're all alive. I'm not blaming you for the fire—Ruka has already informed me it was not your fault. But you need to take responsibility; it was _your _house. _Our _house which is now ruined." And with those words, Mrs. Hyuuga turned the door handle and slipped out of the room, leaving Natsume limp in his bed. And goddammit, he was crying. Tears of anger, frustration and self-hatred were clouding his vision when there was a knock on the door. He cupped his face in his hands before he muffled a weak, "Come in," and when he looked up, Ruka, Koko and Kitsune-me were all standing beside his bed.

"Natsume—"

"are you—"

"okay?"

"Well, I'm alive." Natsume answered, "But my arms are hurting like a motherfucker."

All three of his friends' gaze momentarily flickered at his bandaged arms before Koko exclaimed, "Natsume, it wasn't your fault. We got the whole story—it was this _idiot, _Hijiri Goshima's fault. He was smoking with his friends and they were playing a game: "Who could throw the cigarette in the ashtray" and Goshima said his fag accidently fell in the puddle of alcohol they accidently split earlier and before they could realize what was going on a fir—"

"I don't care." Natsume's voice was calm and firm as he looked up at all of his friends. "When it comes down to it, it's _my _fault. My fault for having that stupid party in the first place and for such a petty reason too—because I was _angry_ with my father." He scowled before he looked at his empty bedside table. "My sister nearly died. I want all the blame I can get."

Kitsune-me glanced at Ruka with a 'say-something!' expression as he felt uncomfortable in the room—it was eerily silent, and the steady beeping of the machines were really agitating him.

Ruka, taking a hint and voluntarily sat on the foot of Natsume's bed, and even if Natsume's gaze was elsewhere, he said, "Regardless, we're glad you're alright." Natsume looked back at Ruka, to see emotions of genuine honesty and relief swirl in his ocean blue eyes. "I thought for a moment I'd lost you."

"We all did," Kitsune-me grimaced, "the fire was literally swallowing up the house when you came out with Aoi. I swear to God, you would have both died if you hadn't come out when you did. Five seconds later and you would have been burnt toast."

There was a moment of silence before Natsume asked, "How's . . . Aoi?" He observed all his three friends glance at each other, with unexplainable expressions etched in their eyes, and immediately he dreaded for the worst. "She's . . . alive, right?"

"Oh yeah, of course!" Ruka replied, a rather weak smile creeping on his face, "You saved her, mate."

"But?" Natsume urged on, desperate to know what was wrong with his sister. When none of his friends answered (they merely only glanced at each other again, hoping one would reveal the truth) he said, "Either one of you tell me or I'm going to go see for myself—" Natsume even made an attempt to get out of his bed by pulling the covers off him, but immediately, his three friends cried simultaneously, "No, no, no!"

"Then _tell _me what the flip is going on!" Natsume snarled rather cruelly, obviously frustrated, which made all three of his friends flinch rather openly. Natsume, immediately regretting his actions, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry," He apologized, "but she's my sister."

All three friends had never seen Natsume ever look so vulnerable. He looked so exhausted, so battered up . . . and they could only _imagine _what was going through his head then and there. The guilt he must've felt . . . everything. "Don't worry, she's fine," Ruka quietly replied, "it's just . . . the flames really got her. Her burns are pretty severe."

"We saw her before she was bandaged up." Koko added, "And well . . . let's just say the doctor's say she's going to have some scars."

"Where?"

"Her shoulders, mainly. Her legs looked pretty bad too."

"And . . . her face?"

"The doctor's said her face would be fine after a few weeks. She's only got a few fire blisters there." Ruka admitted, with a feeble smile.

_A few fire blisters.  
A few fire blisters.  
Scars.  
_

"I want to see her." Natsume suddenly announced, and all of his friends' eyes widened when they saw _tears _glazing Natsume's red eyes. "Goddamn I want to see my sister." He proclaimed, his voice raspy and dry as sandpaper.

"Natsume . . ."

All his friends could only sorrowfully watch his friend, who they knew to be the strongest of them all, cup his face with his hands. So much self-hatred was going on for Natsume, they realized, as he felt responsible for this all—even if he wasn't the one who started the fire, they could already tell he was planning to take blame for it. All they could do now, was stand by him. Koko and Kitsune-me joined Ruka on the foot of the bed, and even though they knew it probably didn't help, they started to pat Natsume comfortingly, as he silently cried in his hands.

And it didn't seem he was going to come out any time soon either.

_I'll sing it one last time for you  
Then we really have to go  
You've been the only thing that's right  
In all I've done  
And I can barely look at you  
But every single time I do  
I know we'll make it anywhere  
Away from here _

_Light up, light up  
As if you have a choice  
Even if you cannot hear my voice  
I'll be right beside you, dear  
Louder, louder  
And we'll run for our lives  
I can hardly speak, I understand _

_Why you can't raise your voice to say  
To think I might not see those eyes  
Makes it so hard not to cry  
And as we say our long goodbyes  
I nearly do _

_Light up, light up  
As if you have a choice  
Even if you cannot hear my voice  
I'll be right beside you, dear  
Louder, louder  
And we'll run for our lives  
I can hardly speak, I understand  
Why you can't raise your voice to say _

_Slower, slower  
We don't have time for that  
All I want is to find an easier way  
To get out of our little heads _

_Have heart, my dear  
We're bound to be afraid  
Even if it's just for a few days  
Making up for all this mess _

_Light up, light up  
As if you have a choice  
Even if you cannot hear my voice  
I'll be right beside you, dear_

**0**

**End of Chapter Twenty Seven**

**0**


	32. Stop And Stare

**Disclaimer: **Don't own it. Rightfully belongs to Higuchi Tachibana (I think that's her name…hmm.)

**0**

**My Happy Ending  
**_**by Little Miss Giggle**_

**0**

**Chapter Twenty Eight: Stop And Stare**

**0**

_Some secrets are better unknown._

**0**

Natsume was certain that night, the night of his fifteenth birthday, was one of the worst days he will ever have to endure in his life. He couldn't go to sleep as he lay in the hospital bed; his head was swarmed with regret and self-hatred and his arms were still hurting, making them a constant stinging reminder to what he had done.

The morning of the 28th of November was grey; a dull light peeked through the blinds of the hospital he registered as he woke up at early that day. Under his crimson eyes lied deep purple bags that etched deep in his skin, and his skin tone, which was already rather light looked even whiter but with a trace of a green or yellow pasty tinge to it. The pain in his arms was not much better even with the pain killers the doctor provided with him yesterday. He groaned as he shifted his position, whilst he rubbed his eyes. He was surprised when his dreary eyes fell upon his mother, who was sitting on a chair in the corner of his room with a smile present on her face.

"Good morning, dear."

"G'morning mum," Natsume groggily answering, only realizing how burnt his throat was after the words came out of his mouth. "What time is it?"

"Why? Are you hungry?"

Now that question was brought up, Natsume realized how hungry he actually was; he was ravenous. He hadn't eaten anything last night, and when he nodded in reply, his mother smiled, "Good. Your friends were here just until a few minutes ago; they've gone to buy some breakfast for you as according to Kitsune-me, hospital food is 'vile'."

Natsume snorted before he pulled the covers off him. When his mother inspected him with an inquiring look, Natsume explained, "I'm going to go to the toilet." With that, his mother pointed at the en suite bathroom, which Natsume mused was as small as a closet and honestly when he splashed his face with the cold water he felt rather claustrophobic. From outside the toilet door, he suddenly heard the door open and the voices of his friends' suddenly filled his ear—"And so—oh my God! Mrs. Hyuuga, Natsume's gone!" Natsume rolled at his eyes at Koko's blatantly obvious statement.

On cue, Natsume opened the toilet door, with one eyebrow arched at his friend. Immediately, all three heads snapped in his direction before on each and every one of them, a smile appeared. "Natsume!" they all happily chorused as they gathered around him.

"How you feeling?" Ruka asked.

"How'd you sleep last night?" Kitsune-me questioned.

"We bought you some muffins from Starbs! And an orange juice!" Koko cheerfully trilled, as he held up the paper bag with the Starbucks' Logo printed on it. Natsume thankfully smiled at his friends before he made his way back to his bed—goddamn his arms hurt. "Here," Koko added, as he passed Natsume the 500ml bottle of "Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice" with a goofy grin.

"Cheers," Natsume said, as motioned to his bedside table with the flick of his head. Finally noticing that Natsume was _incapable _of taking hold of it, Koko took the hint and with a sheepish smile, he placed both the muffin and the bottle of juice on the bedside table. Koko even did the honours of uncapping the bottle for Natsume.

Koko and Kitsune-me buzzed with conversation while Ruka and Natsume's mother kept a firm gaze upon Natsume, how was rather gingerly picking at the muffin and crumbling it into his mouth. It all looked so pathetic and Ruka couldn't help bite his lip when he saw just how hard it was for Natsume to pick up the orange juice. It was all too cruel.

"Hey, can I go see Aoi? Is she awake yet?"

Everybody's eyes turned to Natsume's mother, as it was _her _decision really (and the question was directed to his mother), the boys didn't really have a say in this matter. Asuka blinked and silently pondering in thought for a second or two before she smiled and replied, "Well, she's not awake yet, but of course, there's no harm in that!"

Natsume happily smiled and his friends all couldn't help smile for him too. "Is it fine for me to go like this?" Natsume gestured at his hospital clothes. His mother nodded before Koko excitedly cried, "Oh my God! Natsume, can we _please _put you in a wheelchair and push you around the hospital? Oh my God _pleeeeeeeeeeease!_"

The room echoed with laughter and for a moment Natsume forgot about everything—his birthday, the fire . . . but then, the door to his room whooshed open and immediately the happy light was blown out by a cold gust of memory and figure. Takeshi Hyuuga stood in the doorway, looking pristine as ever but today with a murderous expression plastered to his face. And his cold, cold crimson eyes were hooked onto Natsume.

"T-Takeshi," Asuka started, her eyes brimmed with fear and anxiety all of a sudden at the sigh of her husband, "I thought you weren't coming for another—"

"I managed to catch an early train." was Takeshi's curt response. He didn't even _bother _to look at his wife; his eyes were still burning into his son. He didn't even notice Natsume's friends who were all shaking unconsciously with fear he was so engrossed. And honestly, Natsume couldn't see anything but disgust and hatred in his father's eyes and his own crimson eyes he had inherited from his father couldn't help moving from side to side in terror.

Alarm. Panic. Horrified. Terrified. Petrified. _Scared shitless. _Those were some words that described Natsume when he suddenly saw his father striding over to him.

Pain. Ache. Throb. Torment. Agony. Shock. _Stab in the heart. _Those were some words that described Natsume when his father had powerfully slapped him across the face. Natsume felt as if all the air he had managed to collect back in his lungs had been forced out, and he couldn't move after he had been slapped. After the sharp sound of the slap, the room had been completely engulfed in silence.

Asuka could only watch the scene unfold with tears in her eyes and her hands cupped to her mouth in horror. Ruka, Kitsune-me and Koko's reaction were all extremely similar—they were _disgusted _but they were also terrified and that feeling was so overwhelming they couldn't say or do anything to help their friend.

"You're a _disgrace._"

Three words. Not _I Love You _but _You're A Disgrace. _Natsume didn't say anything and he kept his head in the same position from after he had received the blow, which was now painfully burning, as if ten angry bees had stung him simultaneously on his cheek. Natsume also noticed that his eyes were glazing.

He was a disgrace.

"I hope you understand the _gravity _of the situation, Natsume. You have put the family into a bad light. Do you understand this?" Takeshi's voice was forbidding, and Natsume was too scared to reply, but that feeling onto doubled, when his father suddenly grabbed him by the shoulder and roared with loathsome present in his voice, "_Do you understand?"_

"Y-Yes." Natsume managed to choke out.

"Do you know how this will affect my _career? _My own _son _burnt _my _house down? Do you know how _irresponsible _that makes me sound? _Do you?"_

"Y-Yes."

"Natsume I hope you know that this not only affect your mother's and my own career but _your _future too. Nobody will hire you; no University will accept you after what you have done. You're a disgrace; you're the scum of the earth!"

Asuka Hyuuga was now shielding both her eyes and mouth with her hands she was sobbing so much and Natsume's friends weren't any better. They wanted to scream, tell Mr. Hyuuga that he had been a lousy father and the root of Natsume's instability was coming from the lack of love he gave to his son. They all wanted to tell the man to shut up and go to hell; they wanted to help Natsume; _save _him but alas, their mouths wouldn't open.

"Not only have you ruined _our _lives but you have also ruined the life of your younger sister!" Takeshi continued to bellow in aversion, and when he noticed that his son finally looked up with a worried expression on his face at the mention of Aoi, Takeshi's eyebrows raised in contempt. "You haven't seen your sister yet? You haven't seen what you have _done _to her? Her life is _destroyed _because of you. You have single-handedly terminated her life."

Natsume's heartbeat quickened before his father cruelly stated, his lips curling with complete and utter animosity, "You disgusting bastard, Natsume." And before _anyone _in the room could react to what Takeshi Hyuuga had just called his son, Takeshi clenched his hand on Natsume's bandaged arms (causing Natsume to let out a groan of pain) and pulled him out in the hospital corridor.

"You've destroyed her, Natsume. You've destroyed her." Takeshi kept on repeating with total revulsion as he quickly dragged Natsume down the corridor. "Destroyed her with your own bare hands." That was when Takeshi abruptly stopped in front of a ward and with his free hand opened the door.

Ward Number 178. Patient Aoi Hyuuga.

Natsume's eyes widened when he saw his little sister in bed. An oxygen mask was tied to her face, and tubes were running in and out of her body. Her hospital pyjama's sleeves had been cut off neatly so her bare arms were on show to the world. Natsume didn't realize but his breathing was irregular, and his heartbeat was all over the place. His blood had run cold; he was terrorized, traumatized at the sight of his own sister. He could hardly recognize her she was so severely burnt, especially around her upper arms. Her once beautiful black hair was now singed sharply; her arms were scorching red and covered in blisters, and even her face looked raw. It was as if a thin layer of skin had been ripped off her face.

"_This _is all your doing."

He had done this. _He _was basically the one who ripped the skin of his sister's face.

"I came to her ward before I came to yours. The doctors have informed me that her back is much, _much_ worse. This is all your doing."

_I am a disgrace. I am irresponsible. I have no future. I put my friends in danger. I have ruined my families' lives. I nearly killed my sister. I destroyed her. I am a disgusting bastard._

Not able to see his sister for another second, with a self-hating heart, Natsume turned around and passed his father out to the corridor of the hospital. He couldn't breath, and the bright lights of the hospital hurt his already watering eyes.

"Natsume!"

He lamely turned his head around to see his friends and his mother making their ways towards him. Asuka opened her mouth to say something as she neared her son but before she could Natsume growled, "Just leave me _alone!_" and whipped his body in the other direction, only so he could run away. But to him, it was more like he was trying to run away from _himself._

He had finally found a person he hated more than he hated his father.

And his name was Natsume Hyuuga.

**0**

"H-Here is your briefcase, Mr. P-P-Persona." The chauffeur informed as he passed a sleek black leather case, with his head bent down in respect, to a man. This man was tall—he towered over the chauffeur with his six foot two status; everything he possessed was black, including his clothes, suitcase, tattoos and sunglasses. A sneer made its way to his unbelievably thin lips as he saw how the chauffeur was shaking with, what he assumed to be fear. Finding it all too amusing, he lowered his head down to the chauffeur's level and peered into his blue eyes said, "Boo."

Immediately the chauffeur yelped and literally a nanosecond later, after he had realized _what _he had just done, he stuttered, "I-I'm terribly sorry S-Sir—"

"No need," Serio Persona interrupted, as he took his briefcase with a sadistic smile playing on his lips, "you're dismissed." With that, not even _bothering _to see the reaction of the lame chauffeur, Serio Persona turned around, and made his way to the entrance of the Sapporo Marriott Hotel. He heard his bodyguards following close behind him and the doors automatically opened upon his arrival. He took his black aviators off his face, and his uniquely enchanting purple eyes scanned the lobby of the hotel. "This will do," he said, and immediately, his personal assistant, Mr. Kato was by his side.

"Are you quite sure, Mr. Persona?" Mr. Kato double-checked as he inspected the paintings on the wall with vanity, his nose up-turned.

"Yes, after all business here will be done here very quickly I presume, _especially _after the news you tell me about the happenings of last night . . . you are quite sure about it?"

"Yes, I have been keeping a firm eye on the Hyuuga boy ever since last year. I am _certain_ about the information." Mr. Kato efficiently replied.

"Good, good." Serio Persona smiled with triumph. _Victory was in the palm of his hands. _"Things couldn't have gone better than they have." He let out a quiet yet raucous laugh before he added, "Oh yes, make sure we have a new chauffeur before noon, Kato?"

Mr. Kato smiled, "I have already made arrangements, sir."

Serio Persona grinned, "I like how you work, Kato."

_I love working for you_, _Serio Persona,_ Shinichi Kato mused to himself. After all, Serio Persona was one of the richest people in Japan meaning he was one of the richest personal assistants in Japan.

**0**

Aoi was mildly surprised when she saw her mother standing beside her bed, rearranging the sunflowers on the bedside table. Aoi loved sunflowers; her name was 日向葵 and the kanji for sunflower was very similar to her name (向日葵). What surprised her even more was the fact that her mother was _crying _as she poured more water into the vase.

Aoi had already woken up a few hours prior, but she nevertheless she was still initially surprised when she realised she was not in her own bed, but unlike before where she nearly screamed, she reminded herself of the happenings of last night. Even though the memories were truly traumatic, she was glad that her and her brother managed to make it out alive. "M-Mum," she croakily said and immediately Asuka snapped her head in her daughter's direction, with her eyes wide. She blinked before she smiled down at her—Aoi also didn't miss how she quickly wiped her tears away from her eyes.

"Hi honey. You okay?"

"I could do with some water." Aoi hoarsely answered.

Asuka nodded before she softly answered, "Okay, sure one second."

Aoi patiently waited and for a minute she wished she had never woken up—no matter if they had fed her pain killers, she could still feel the charring pains; especially on her back. She gently touched her face with her pads of her fingers and couldn't help but wince.

"There you go, Aoi." Asuka soothingly said, as he brought down the cup of water to Aoi's eyelevel. Aoi thankfully smiled as her mother also pulled the oxygen mask ever so carefully and cautiously off her face. Quenching her thirst with the cold water made her feel much better and once she had done, she asked her mother the same question she had asked her this morning at 4.00am when she first woke up. "Is Natsume around?"

Immediately, Aoi saw tears spring into her mother's eyes. Aoi fearfully watched her mother swallow painfully before she replied, "I don't think your brother wants to see anybody right now, honey. I'm so sorry."

"O-Oh." Aoi replied, hurt by the information her mother had just informed her with. "Okay."

Did her brother not want to see her anymore? Did he believe it that it was her fault that he was in the hospital right now? Did he not feel the same way as she did; did he not need comfort from her, just like she desperately needed comfort from him?

She was definitely upset by what her mother had just told her. But some part of her understood—he needed some time alone. To think. And she understood that. "Mum, can you tell him to come see me soon though?" Aoi asked as she looked at her mother. "I would go see him but," she motioned to her legs, "the doctors told me I can't move for at least_—_"

"I know, I know." Mrs. Hyuuga nodded in an understanding manner. "I'll tell him." She promised as she smiled at her daughter.

Even with the burn blisters on her face, Aoi threw back a sunny smile at her mother, "Thanks mummy!"

**0**

Natsume had always been an agonistic; he wasn't sure about the existence of God—he would usually go through stages were he believed he saw _signs _from God (like last year, when _the _Serio Persona turned up at his school performance) and then also go through stages where his faith in God would completely disappear. For example, in History class when he learnt about the Holocaust, Natsume thought to himself: if there were a God, what kind of God creates somebody as disgusting, vile, psychopathic, and despicable as Adolf Hitler?

And why would God create him?

Fine, he was not a deranged man with a funny moustache named Adolf Hitler, but why would God _bother _to create him when he was only going to bring misfortune into the family? Why did He bother in making Natsume come into the world when He should've known he would only _ruin _the Hyuuga family? Surely being 'all-knowing' God would have seen this.

Natsume was currently standing on the roof of the hospital, looking down onto the streets of Sapporo. Only grey clouds hung drearily in the sky, and the air was nipping frostily at his skin. He was only wearing his hospital pyjamas and there were only three more days till the first of December. He didn't care. _Let me freeze to death, let me go numb, I don't care._

He didn't know how long he had been up on the roof, but even if he had been up here for six hours alone Natsume felt he needed _more _time. He had figured some things out in his head; for example he had decided a few minutes ago that he will take _every _damn responsibility of what happened last night—he didn't care if it was Hoshima or Goshima or whoever who actually started the fire; _he _would take responsibility. He'll take _all _the responsibility, he firmly decided, and he most definitely would not let any of his friends take any responsibility either.

It was his fault. And it's his fault that his sister is in the state she is currently in.

He was ready. Ready to take any punishment that may come his way.

**0**

Getting the number of Takeshi Hyuuga was simple. Getting Takeshi Hyuuga to _come _to his hotel room, Persona found out, was even _easier._ After saying on the phone that he had a private bar in his hotel room and that he would like to talk to Takeshi Hyuuga privately (because "he needed a new lawyer and heard he was the best") was enough to get Takeshi Hyuuga saying, "I'll be over in ten minutes."

"How cruel," Persona mused, as his finger circled the rim of his martini cup, "his daughter and son are in hospital and still Takeshi Hyuuga works . . . what an insensitive father." He darkly chuckled to himself as he now to a sip of his martini.

Suddenly, there was a knock on door to the chamber of his private bar (which was located in his SuperDeluxe Villa Room on the top floor of the hotel) and Persona said, "Come in,"

The door opened, and there stood both Takeshi Hyuuga and his personal assistant. With a malicious smile present on his face, Mr. Kato said, "Well, I'll leave you two to be." And with that, he closed the doors, leaving only Takeshi Hyuuga and Serio Persona in the bar room. "Please, do sit down." Persona offered with a smile on his face.

"I thank you, and may I also compliment your room."

Serio Persona smiled before he stood from his seat and made his way to the bar as Takeshi Hyuuga sat down. "What can I offer you, Mr. Hyuuga?"

"Any good vodka's?"

Persona smirked, "But of course. Have you ever tried to _Devil's Springs _vodka?" Takeshi Hyuuga shook his head and Persona let out a coarse laugh; "Oh well believe me you will _never _forget this drink then." Instead of pouring a shot for Takeshi Hyuuga, Persona brought the whole bottle and the little shot glass with him to Mr. Hyuuga. "Help yourself, Mr. Hyuuga."

"Thank you . . ."

"Rough day?" Persona asked, knowing the answer all too well.

"One could say that . . ." Takeshi muttered before he poured himself a shot. Immediately, he held the cup, raised it in thanks before he tipped both his head and drink back. As soon as the brought the cup away from his mouth, Takeshi let out a gasp. "Wow," he commented, as he eyes widened after blinking continuously for a short span of seconds. "_That _is what I call a drink!"

"Yes . . ." Persona smirked again. "Mr. Hyuuga," he then said, managing to catch the attention of the crimson-eyed man next to him. "I'm actually not looking for a lawyer. I lied to you on the phone."

Takeshi Hyuuga's eyes narrowed, "What do you—"

"I'm here to talk business though. It's about your son, Natsume Hyuuga."

Immediately, Takeshi's nostrils flared and his eyes attenuated with contempt. He sprang up from his seat as he declared, "I thought I recognized you—you're that producer who planted the preposterous idea of him being a singer into his head!" by the end of it, Takeshi Hyuuga was shouting. "Do you know how much _trouble _you have caused my family by implanting such ideas into my stupid son's mind?"

Persona coolly looked back at Takeshi Hyuuga before he rather coldly stated, "Do not lose your dignity Mr. Hyuuga, it is most embarrassing."

"You—"

"I know what your son did last night."

Takeshi Hyuuga's flushed face immediately whitened as his eyes widened. "How—How did you . . . I managed to bribe the media _not _to report this—"

"I have my sources." Serio Persona answered. "And you and I both know that one day _you're _money isn't going to be able to hide the facts of what your son did last night."

Takeshi Hyuuga suspiciously looked at Persona but nevertheless he slowly but surely sat back down on his seat. "What are you proposing, Mister . . ."

"Serio Persona." He introduced himself but before Takeshi could say anything, Persona continued, "I am proposing we comprise in order to get what we _both _want."

Takeshi Hyuuga edged closer as she said, "I'm listening."

Persona smirked; this was going easier than he expected. "You don't want the happenings of last night of reaching the media as your highly respectable job will be stripped of its honour. You will no longer be Sapporo's best lawyer if the happenings of last night are revealed, no, instead you will be the gossip of the town; the target of the media and the butt of every joke to _every _lawyer in the _whole _of Japan. Am I correct?" Persona could see the look of anxiety on Takeshi Hyuuga's face; _my, my, it seems as if Kato was correct about his research again_, Persona thought to himself amusedly—Kato had told him on the journey to Sapporo from Tokyo that Takeshi Hyuuga was rumored to be a man who put his job before his family. Persona didn't realize that it was to a _great, great _extent.

"You're right." Takeshi Hyuuga unashamedly admitted. "I don't want anyone to know about my son's foolishness. He's an embarrassment." Takeshi Hyuuga poured himself another glass of _Devil's Springs _while he added, "And you are also correct; the media demands a large amount of money to keep the news of last night hidden and I _know _that I will not be able to keep on paying them off."

"That's why you have me."

"You?" Takeshi incredulously said.

"Yes, _me_." Persona laughed. "I, Serio Persona, am one of Japan's _richest _man—I make _millions _everyday without even lifting a finger. And you," Persona looked at Takeshi as if he were a delicious baby cow, "are one of the best lawyers in the country. _Together _we can do something. _Together _we can hide the happenings of the 27th of November. It would be as if _it had never existed_."

_As if it had never existed._

Takeshi Hyuuga looked as if he had just seen the gateways of Heaven he looked so inspired; but then, as if he had been knocked back down to earth, his eyes narrowed and he raised a dubious brow at Persona, "What's in it for you?"

Persona threw Takeshi a look brimmed with leer, "Ah, you're not going to like this, Mr. Hyuuga." Takeshi's lips thinned as Persona continued, "But here's what _I _want more than anything. I want your son to sign with my recording label with his band mates."

"What?" Takeshi Hyuuga demanded, "Natsume? _Recording label_?"

"I don't think you are aware that I am a very good observer; I see talent in your son's band—_especially _in your son. And let me tell you, Mr. Hyuuga one doesn't come across a young boy like Natsume every day. Natsume Hyuuga is every producer's wet dream. I remember seeing your son at your son's school festival and I _knew _I had to have him under my label. Your son will bring me _billions_. But," Persona's tone of voice suddenly turned bitter, "_you _were the only parent out of the four boys' parents to decline the offer; no, you wounded my ego—you _rejected _it in such an offhanded, superior manner it made me angry. _Very _angry. And so here I am, back with the same motives but this time," Persona smiled, "I am not the only desperate one. So, what say you, Mr. Hyuuga?"

Takeshi was silent for a while before he cleared his throat and double-checked, "You want me to . . . to _give _my son away to you? And in return you'll provide money to the media, the police, and the _court _to cover up the happenings of yesterday?"

"I was also hoping you will enroll your son into Japan's best Music Academy in Tokyo—Alice Gakuen. Of course, I will provide the school fee's for all the boys." Serio Persona smoothly added.

"Oh so you _also _want to take my son away from me so you could make him into a famous singer with his band? Send him to _Tokyo?_"

For a moment, Serio Persona feared that Takeshi Hyuuga was going to say 'no' and back out from this deal. But then, a sinister laugh escaped from Takeshi Hyuuga's lips, a laugh that reminded Persona so much of himself . . . "Give me a pen and paper and I will sign this deal of yours. I will fight for my son's case and you will provide the money for everything—am I correct?"

Serio Persona maliciously smiled. Takeshi Hyuuga was worse than he thought. And he liked that. "Yes."

"Then, you will enroll my son and his friends to this Academy in Tokyo?"

"Yes."

"But most importantly, my job will be unharmed then? _No one _will no about this?"

"Obviously it will have to be reported into the Police files but only the person _writing _the report will know about it. And he will, I will make sure, complete a very insufficient report."

A look of absolute joy crossed over Takeshi's face but as quickly as it came, it disappeared, "Damn, we have a problem." He muttered, as he cast his eyes to the dark, dark producer in front of him. "There were people at the party. How are we going to get them to keep their mouths closed? What if they've already—"

"I think you underestimate how rich I am." Persona grinned. "I will happily give everybody at the party last night a reasonable amount of money to keep their mouths shut. Just provide me with a guest list and it will be done. Also Mr. Hyuuga, a secrecy wouldn't be a bad idea too."

"Secrecy?"

"Yes, a formal secrecy. Make everybody who was involved in last night's happenings sign a secrecy—anybody who breaks it will be imprisoned immediately."

There was a disquieting smile growing on Takeshi Hyuuga's face as he commented, "It seems you have thought about this thoroughly, Mr. Persona."

Persona returned an equally ominous grin to Takeshi as he responded, "I will do anything to get what I want, Mr. Hyuuga. Remember that."

_Remember that._

**0**

Natsume returned to his room when he noticed that the sun was setting—heaving himself slowly down the stairs, he made his way to his ward. He felt completely and utterly numb—his whole body was frozen to the core. Once he opened the door to his ward, his crimson eyes widened in shock; out of all the people in the world he was least expecting to see his _father _in the ward, along with Koko, Kitsune-me and Ruka. Immediately, all their heads turned to him and Ruka gasped before he demanded, "_Where _were you, Natsume?"

"We were worried sick—" Kitsune-me managed to add before Mr. Hyuuga interrupted in a blunt tone, "I was just telling your friends to pass a message from me to you but I see there is no need. Natsume, tomorrow you and your friends will be expected to go to court tomorrow." All three of Natsume's friends gasped in horror, but Natsume blankly stared back at his father. He was expecting—it was going to come sooner or later. And he had already decided he was going to take the full blame for it. Natsume nodded in comprehension before his father continued, "I will be going at noon, to . . . _sort some business out _but you will be expected to come with your friends at around 1:30pm. Is that clear?" All four boys nodded solemnly. "Good." with that curt last word, Takeshi Hyuuga made his way to the door. But before he completely shut the door behind him, he peered his head back in and said, "Oh and thank you boys for giving me the guest list."

The door shut close after that, leaving the four friends _finally _alone.

"Where were you, Natsume?" Ruka repeated again, with concern and worry etched in his eyes. "We looked _everywhere._"

"You really scared us, Natsume." Koko quietly stated, as he too also looked at Natsume with an agonizing gaze.

"Not only us, but your mother too." Kitsune-me carried on, with a despondent expression on his face. "We're glad you're alright though."

"Guys," Natsume hoarsely started as he looked at his friends, one by one, "please . . . _please _stop looking at me like that." Natsume pleaded in a rather raspy tone. "I don't need your pity."

"We do not pity you, Natsume!" Ruka immediately cried, only to which Koko and Kitsune-me nodded vigorously in agreement. "We're _worried _about you—you just suddenly disappeared and—"

"Guys, please leave me alone." was Natsume's second desperate plea.

Hearing the sad, _vulnerable _tone in Natsume's voice, all three boys glanced at each other. The memories of late last night where they say Natsume _cry _filled all their heads and so without hesitation, the three boys slowly made their ways towards the exit. Before Ruka left though, he turned back to look at his best friend and said, "Natsume, we don't pity you at all. We want to be here for you." He cleared his voice before he said, "We'll see you tomorrow. Have a good night's rest."

**0**

As Asuka was busy taking care of Aoi, Ruka had decided he would bring in some spare clothes for Natsume to wear, even if Natsume was slightly taller. _Especially _as Natsume's house had burnt down, meaning it had also burnt down his wardrobe. It took Natsume quite a while to get ready, and the boys could tell Natsume was frustrated by the fact that his hands wouldn't move he wanted them to move; by the time the zip of Ruka's hoodie was securely done up, it was time for them to catch a taxi to the courthouse. Asuka bade Natsume with a kiss on the cheek, and she also gave the boys all 2000Yen (around fifteen British Pounds. Around 25 US dollars) each, telling them to buy themselves food sometime during the day.

Natsume had once been to court before—but back then, he was simply there only to see his father do his job; persecute a man he was paid to oppress by another richer man. His heart was beating rather rapidly in his chest when the taxi smoothly stopped in front of the courthouse. Giving the man the money from his pocket, Natsume followed his friends outside onto the streets of Sapporo.

_This is it._

Side by side, with all their hearts hammering, and without any words, the four boys made their ways inside the courthouse—they asked the lady at the desk for the courtroom number and walked down the long corridor, in search for their designated courtroom.

_Courtroom 77_

Koko, Kitsune-me and Ruka all glanced at each other and at Natsume with an anxious manner but Natsume's crimson eyes were firmly rested upon the door handle. "Let's get this over and done with," he softly said, loud enough for his friends to hear before he gripped the handle and twisted it open—

It was very bright in the courtroom—Natsume couldn't help but squint before his eyes adjusted. And that's when his mouth couldn't help by opening in shock and surprise. There in the courtroom was _everybody _who was present at his party, two nights ago. "What th—"

"Natsume! Ruka! Koko! Kitsune-me! I feared you four would never show up!"

It was only when Natsume turned his head to the left did he see the vividly familiar tall figure of Serio Persona walking towards the four with a grin, that could be seen as sinister plastered on his face.

"O-Oh my God!" Koko gasped, as his eyes widened, "Mr. P-Persona? Is that you?"

Persona smirked, "The one and only."

"Hey, long time no see, Mr. P!" Kitsune-me laughed before he frowned. He looked around him, as if he was reminding himself _where _he was before he asked, "Sorry but _why _are you here?"

"Business, boys." Persona vaguely replied. Natsume narrowed his eyes—there was something incredibly strange going on before his eyes he could tell, but before he could interrogate anybody, Persona started to hurriedly usher the four to the front of the courtroom. "Listen carefully, boys. Natsume, your father has already dealt with the case—you are _not _guilty and no charges have been pressed against you."

"_What?"_

Persona raised an eyebrow, "My, by the way you say that Natsume you almost sound as if you _wanted _to be branded a criminal for the rest of your life . . ." he smirked again before he said, "There's your father—he's getting everybody in this room to sign the secrecy—"

"What's the secrecy?" Natsume demanded fiercely as he looked directly into Persona's eyes.

Persona sighed before he stopped walking, causing all four boys to cease their walking too. "As you all seem to be bouncing with question, I'm going to explain everything. I and Mr. Hyuuga have come up with a solution—a solution that eradicates the happenings of two nights ago completely . . ."

**0**

_This town is colder now, I think it's sick of us  
It's time to make our move, I'm shaking off the rust  
I've got my heart set on anywhere but here  
I'm staring down myself, counting up the years  
Steady hands, just take the wheel...  
And every glance is killing me  
Time to make one last appeal... for the life I lead_

He wanted to be charged. He wanted the judge to slam him as being guilty. He wanted people to write about him, calling him the 'scum of Japan who nearly killed his sister'. He wanted people to know about his actions, so that they would all stay away. He wanted people to hate him just as much as he hated himself.

And now, with the secrecy, and with the large amount of money, this was not going to happen. Thanks to his father and Persona it was not going to happen. He will have to live with this crime for the rest of his life—and virtually no one will know about it. Natsume padded his wet face with the towel, before he looked into the mirror and saw his reflection. He hated who he saw; he hated himself so fucking much. What's even more, he was now getting everything he wanted—he was to leave for the Alice Academy in a few weeks. It had been his dream to go to the Alice Academy, and when does his father finally accept his dreams? _After _he had crushed them and _after _he had done something so morally wrong.

He didn't deserve it.

He deserved to be hated. And if that meant becoming something he was not—somebody people will get accustomed to hate then so be it. If that meant he was going to have be a psychopath, then so be it.

So be it.

Suddenly, there was a small knock on the bathroom door and Natsume simply knocked back, nonverbally showing that he was indeed in the toilet and listening and then he heard his mother's voice: "Natsume dear," she called, "Aoi's awake at the moment—she really wants to see you. Can you come visit her?"

Natsume paused before his glance fell upon the mirror once more. "No. I can't."

If he had to pretend to stop caring about his sister in order to get her to hate him, then so be it; he would pretend. No longer will be the same Natsume Hyuuga. He was going to erase himself, and that was his final decision.

_Stop and stare  
I think I'm moving but I go nowhere  
Yeah I know that everyone gets scared  
But I've become what I can't be, oh  
Stop and stare  
You start to wonder why you're here not there  
And you'd give anything to get what's fair  
But fair ain't what you really need  
Oh, can you see what I see_

**0**

Natsume with Ruka, Koko, Kitsune-me left to go to the Alice Academy around mid-January. The days of August were gradually ending as Aoi watched the clouds and the ever blue and forever lasting sky from inside the airplane. They had left in August. She had hardly spoken to her brother since November last year.

Natsume had never came to visit her in hospital. Not once did he leave her a note, or not once did he pass on a message from his mother to her. She was still in kept in hospital when Natsume had left for the Academy—he didn't even come say goodbye to her. Even Ruka Nogi had the decency to bade her farewell before they left to go to Tokyo.

Natsume never called home either.

Not that Aoi really blamed him for that, especially after what happened with him and her father . . . but it still hurt; the fact that he hadn't even call _her_—she did have that thing called a mobile, you know. She wrote letters, but she never received any in return. She sent emails, but they were practically all rejected. She sent texts that were never replied.

Probably one of the things that upset her the most was the fact that Natsume hadn't even _bothered _to contact her to tell her that they had released a song—no, _two _songs now!—even when he _knew _she was his biggest fan. Natsume never came back home for the holidays, and honestly, her father didn't seem to care at all about this while her mother seemed just as desperate as herself to get more in touch with her son. Asuka had once tried to call the receptionist of the Alice Academy, but the receptionist only replied, "I'm sorry Ma'am but Natsume Hyuuga cannot come to the phone right now—he says he's in band practice. Shall I leave a message?"

_They're trying to come back, all my senses push  
Untie the weight bags, I never thought I could...  
Steady feet, don't fail me now  
Gonna run till you can't walk  
Something pulls my focus out  
And I'm standing down..._

It was late April when Aoi decided that she wanted to try out for the Alice Academy herself. Sure, she was no musical genius like her older brother but as soon as she sent in an application, she assumed just because she was related to the 'great' Natsume Hyuuga, she landed herself a spot. She was even more surprised when she broke the news to her her father, telling him that she was planning to go to the Alice Academy starting September. His reaction? He let her go freely, saying something along the lines of, "No school fees," and "less money spent here in Sapporo."

Aoi watched the fluffy clouds lull freely and breezily across the sky and couldn't help but smile a bit. She was definitely excited—in a few hours, she'd be landing in Tokyo and her brother still has no clue whatsoever! Aoi smiled, _I wonder how he will react, _she mused to herself with a cheeky smile on her face.

"_Hello passengers, this is your Captain speaking. We will be landing into Haneda Airport in around thirty minutes, so please make sure all your rubbish is disposed and please make sure to use the toilet now as I will be turning on the seat belt sign shortly. Thank you."_

Aoi couldn't help but squeal. And she honestly couldn't give a damn when the old lady next to her gave her a stink eye because of it.

_Stop and stare  
I think I'm moving but I go nowhere  
Yeah I know that everyone gets scared  
But I've become what I can't be, oh  
Stop and stare  
You start to wonder why you're here not there  
And you'd give anything to get what's fair  
But fair ain't what you really need  
Oh, you don't need_

**0**

Natsume was rather tiredly leaning on the walls of the Academy as the girl who was standing perpendicular to him continued to rant on and on (and _on_) about something he really couldn't give a damn about. He occasionally gave a nod, in hope to make it seem as if he was _actually _listening to her bullshit but from time to time he couldn't help his eyes from twitching. And to think this girl before him was his girlfriend—girlfriends were supposed to be engaging and a relationship, he was sure, was supposed to be about the _two _of them—not about how she met Jesse McCartney when she went to Miami this Summer. Why would _he _of all people care about that? If she was trying to get him jealous by saying, "Oh yeah, Jesse also told me how pretty I was—he wrote a song about me!", well, to put it simply, it _really _wasn't working. He couldn't give two fucks about tha—

Natsume's eyes immediately widened as he saw a raven haired girl with big innocent crimson eyes walking towards him. She obviously hadn't seen him yet; her head was snapping from left to right as she tip-toed around the place in hope to get a better view of the people at the other side of the room.

_What you need, what you need..._

_Aoi._

_If he had to pretend to stop caring about his sister in order to get her to hate him, then so be it; he would pretend. No longer will be the same Natsume Hyuuga. He was going to erase himself, and that was his final decision._

Questions such as, "What is she doing here? Why is she here?" ran wildly in Natsume's mind as he watched her intently from the corner of his eyes. But some part of his soul (which he was at the same time desperately trying to erase) was glad that she looked well; she was wearing a short-sleeve top which showed her scar-free arms and her face looked the same it did before the fire, if not a bit more mature.

She seemed well.

And he was glad.

But suddenly, as if by fate, Aoi's head slowly turned towards him to Natsume's dismay, and before he could react their eyes connected. At first, they just started at each other before a smile started to grow on Aoi's face. Immediately, she started to make her way towards him as he called, in a voice that he only now heard in his dreams, "Natsume! Natsume!"

As if by reflex, Natsume threw and arm over his girlfriend, and turned his back on Aoi, causing his girlfriend to do the same too.

Aoi's face fell as she saw her brother now walking away from her, after he had turned his back on her. She _knew_ he had seen her, and even so, he turned to look away. Her heart started to beat, and all of a sudden she felt ill. Her skin felt hot and prickly, but then her ears perked when she heard the nasal voice of the girl ask Natsume, "Who _was _that girl wearing KEDS?"

"No one." was the answer her brother gave the girl, as he turned his head around to look at his sister. He could see that tears were threatening to fall down from her face, but even so, he only looked at her with emotionless eyes, as he turned his face away from his sister. "That was no one, babe."

_I'm so sorry Aoi. For everything I did to you._

_Stop and stare  
I think I'm moving but I go nowhere  
Yeah I know that everyone gets scared  
But I've become what I can't be  
Oh, do you see what I see..._

**0**

**End of Chapter Twenty Eight**


	33. The Great Escape

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Alice Gakuen as you all I'm sure already know!

**0**

**My Happy Ending  
**_**by Little Miss Giggle**_

**0**

**Chapter Twenty Nine: The Great Escape**

******0**

Throughout the whole confession Mikan was completely silent. Her big hazel eyes only blinked as she intently looked into Natsume's eyes as he spoke. She didn't flinch once; momentarily at some parts of his confession, Natsume saw her eyes widen, but her look was so neutral and so calm Natsume didn't felt as if she was judging him at all. "We put together the song _What I've Done _and _Numb _before we enrolled to the Academy and told the press that it was thanks to the two songs we were signed by Serio Persona. There is not even a whisper to this day about what really happened."

Natsume's voice had been steady, and not once did he stammer or falter on his words. Time to time though Mikan saw how the muscles in his jaws constricted and she also noted how he would unconsciously touch his arm, as he was doing now. Gently, she put her left hand on top of his own hands and gazed back deeply into his crimson eyes.

"As time went on," Natsume quietly continued, "I decided to forget about the whole thing and concentrate on my career. I thought if I was preoccupied being famous and all, I'd one day forget it for good." He sneered slightly before he added, "I even pretended to like things I hated so I could erase my former self."

Mikan bopped her head before she thickly swallowed. "D-Did," she coughed in order to get her voice back on track, "it work?"

"No. Being ignorant of everything wasn't the answer but to some extent it made it all seem like a distant nightmare." Natsume truthfully answered before he held onto Mikan's hand tightly. "But somehow this year . . . it was like I got a wake-up call." He glanced up at Mikan in a rather pointed way as his red eyes interlocked with her own hazel ones. She couldn't help bite her lip as a strand of her espresso coloured fringe curled onto her face. Then, Natsume hands suddenly reached out to touch her face but very slowly, as if he were scared she would turn away any second now. But Mikan didn't; she kept very still and closed her eyes softly when his cold fingers pushed the fallen strand of hair behind her ear. "I," Natsume's voice was barely murmur as he whispered to her in a rather remorseful tone, "understand if you're disgusted by me. I would understand more than anybody els—"

Mikan's hand rose up and she proceeded by clutching onto Natsume's hand that was by now caressing her hair. Her hazel eyes opened as she firmly said, "I'm not. I'm not disgusted at all, Natsume. I admit . . . I'm shocked. But Natsume," she took a deep breath as she leaned in closer to Natsume, "stop beating yourself up please." And with that, her eyes tightly shut she threw her arms around Natsume Hyuuga's neck. Hugging onto tightly many thoughts ran wildly through her head.

He was only fifteen when all that happened. Fifteen—she was fifteen last year, in 2007, the worst thing that happened to her was accidently pushing her aunt into her uncle's 50th birthday cake. Compared to Natsume's problems when he was fifteen they were so petty. And she couldn't even _begin _to imagine the self-hatred he must have felt at such an age; fifteen, that was only _two years _into adolescence.

He was such a broken human being.

They just embraced. Their arms were wrapped around each other and both could feel the warmth they emitted combining with the other. And honestly, Natsume hadn't felt this secure and loved in a very, very long time. And somehow, the haunting memories of the past seemed to be streaked with a rubber; _maybe_, he mused to himself, one day he would be able to look back into the past and accept it all, and for some reason he felt that being in Mikan's arms was the first step to it all.

All of a sudden, Mikan pulled herself away from Natsume and gazed up at him with a smile on her face. "Let's escape."

Initially startled by her words, Natsume blinked before he asked, "Come again?"

Mikan laughed before she said, "I think we both need to get out of the Academy right now—come on, take me on a date! Let's go somewhere!"

Natsume was surprised as he saw her bounce off the seat of the piano stool and turn back around at him with an urging look. But he couldn't help the smile that crossed his lips as he obliged—he stood up and walked over to her. "Let's pretend Natsume," Mikan giggled as she took hold of Natsume's hand, "it's just me and you in the world. We're invisible to everybody else, Natsume. And tonight we're just going to throw away our worries." She opened the door to the music room as she led them both out, "It's just me and you up against the world!"

Natsume grinned before he leaned down and kissed her on the tip of her nose. "You're crazy."

Mikan's heart fluttered before she tiptoed and kissed him on the cheek."You too . . . now come on!" she laughed as she untangled herself away from Natsume, "Let's get out of here!" with that, she started to streak down the halls of the Academy and Natsume was sure he'd never seen anything quite as beautiful; her white dress was blowing mystically behind her; her espresso brown hair was bouncing and present on her face were rosy cheeks and a contagious smile as she looked back at him. "Hurry up, Natsume!" she laughed.

And Natsume couldn't do anything but follow this girl that guided him out. And he did it with no hesitation or regrets.

**0**

_Throw it away  
Forget yesterday  
We'll make the great escape  
We won't hear a word they say  
They don't know us anyway  
Watch it burn  
Let it die  
Cause we are finally free tonight_

For the majority of students in the Alice Academy, the first of May had been a swell night—a free concert, and an excuse to drink was an ideal way to spend the evening for the students, and Hiro being no exception. Hiro was your average seventeen-year-old boy; he studied when he needed to; enjoyed parties, oh and of course _loved _the opposite sex. He was simply walking back to his dorm room with his keycard and a plastic bag filled with booze and snacks in his hands. He had just been to the nearest convenience store to buy himself and his dormmates some late-night snacks, reluctantly of course. He had lost a game of Rock Paper and Scissors and was forced to go out into the hot air of Tokyo to the shop unfortunately. Well, to be honest he didn't really have a choice, as he looked the oldest out of his friends and technically it was still illegal of them to drink at the age of seventeen in Japan.

Pfft, as if anybody ever followed that law!

Hiro was approaching his door as a yawn bubbled up when he first heard a squealing laughter. He looked up, and his eyes twinkled hungrily when he saw Mikan Sakura running towards him, down the corridor, with her white dress blowing; almost like a princess. Her pretty heart-shaped face was flushed as bursts of giggles escaped her lips. Hiro wolfish grin though completely disappeared and instead, his jaw dropped when he saw _who _was behind her. Natsume Hyuuga.

He wasn't stupid nor did he live under a rock; he _knew _he was going out with Mikan Sakura, but he did _not _know Natsume Hyuuga could laugh. Natsume Hyuuga was _running_ (running! The boy who usually just strutted was _running!_) behind Mikan _laughing_.

Laughing.

LAUGHING!

When Mikan Sakura past Hiro, first he was hit with a sweet scent but then he felt his body freeze when Natsume Hyuuga then whooshed past him too, leaving a masculine scent of aftershave or cologne. Immediately after he did, Hiro's head swiveled 180degrees and with his jaw still down, he continued to watch the two run down the rest of the corridor laughing and shouting out to each other.

Hiro's right eye twitched.

Somebody further down the corridor had witnessed the same thing, and his jaw too was open in disbelief. After a few seconds passed, Hiro heard himself croak to the other bystander, "D-Did you just see Natsume Hyuuga laughing? Or . . . Or do I have a mental problem I'm just not aware of?"

"I-I think I saw that too . . . unless I'm more drunk than I initially thought . . ."

The two were in shock.

Natsume Hyuuga was laughing—no, Natsume Hyuuga _was _capable of laughter! Well, one learns something new everyday, no?

**0**

_Tonight will change our lives  
It's so good to be by your side  
But we'll cry  
We won't give up the fight  
We'll scream loud at the top of our lungs  
And they'll think it's just cause we're young  
And we'll feel so alive_

Mikan felt her stomach tense up in pain due to all the laughter and lack of oxygen in her lungs. They were finally outside the grounds of the Academy now, and Mikan put up her left hand in surrender as she gasped out, "Okay, I . . . I need a minute."

Natsume chuckled, "You were the one who started to run."

Mikan looked up at him, with a grin on her face as she accusingly replied, "But _you _were the one who chased after me!" As if she needed him for support, her small hand then suddenly clutched onto Natsume's shirt and Natsume only had a few seconds to fondly look down at her before she exclaimed, "I've recovered!" and with that, her bright eyes started to scan the streets as if she were trying to find a needle in a haystack. "Come on," she suddenly said, "let's go somewhere. Somewhere far away!"

"How'd you suggest we get to that faraway place?"

"Well, I would like to say by a flying magic carpet, but being _realistic _maybe a bus? Or the trains?" she answered, as she started to fan herself with her free hand. It was only the first day of May and the weather in Tokyo was hot; the Summer heat had been creeping up to Tokyo ever since mid-April and the temperature she was feeling now was only the beginning to a hot, hot Summer.

Natsume eyes seemed to inspect the streets too, when he suddenly stated, "What about a car?"

Mikan raised her eyebrows, "You mean Taxi? Naah—"

"No, I mean _car._"

Mikan blinked before she demanded, "You have a _car?_"

Natsume grinned at her awestruck expression before he answered, "No it's not my car; it's the band's car. It's parked in the Alice Academy parking lot, and I have the spare set of key in my wallet." And on cue, Natsume suddenly whipped open his wallet and picked up the key with his thumb and forefinger, and started to jingle it in front of her awestruck face.

But then, Mikan's face fell as she asked, "I know it's legal for over eighteens to drive but . . . do you have a driver's license?"

"No." was Natsume's rather blunt answer.

"Isn't that against the law?"

"Yes."

". . . Can you drive?"

"Just about."

Mikan's smile immediately snapped back on her face as she daringly squealed with excitement, "Alright then, come on! Let's go by car!"

**0**

_Throw it away  
Forget yesterday  
We'll make the great escape  
We won't hear a word they say  
They don't know us anyway  
Watch it burn  
Let it die  
Cause we are finally free tonight_

_All of the wasted time  
The hours that were left behind  
The answers that we'll never find  
They don't mean a thing tonight_

Mikan turned the volume of the radio up as she started to belt along to the lyrics of Bon Jovi. She was shaking her head all over the place and Natsume couldn't help snigger when he saw her air guitaring like a lunatic; "Goddammit, you're crazy." He declared over the music, laughter laced in with his statement.

They had set off on their adventure at around 9:30pm, and now, it was nearly three hours later—the two drove to Shibuya and after they had parked, they went to a food joint to grab a bite to eat (they resulted in having a bit of a food fight due to Mikan as she accidently, well so she claims, spilt her drink on Natsume); then they went to a game centre in Shibuya—they had at least five games of air hockey (Natsume let her win the last game as he was convinced she'd spent all her money and time there if he didn't), they also played a game where they both simultaneously had to shoot down zombies (Mikan had turned out to be pretty good with gun, and Natsume had played this many times with Ruka, and so together they made a pretty good team; managing to earn themselves a place in the High Score list), they also played on the UFO catcher, and Natsume had managed to win Mikan a big bear, which was now sitting innocently in the backseat's of the car.

After spending quite a lot of money in the arcade, the two pondered where to go next or a minute or two, but then, Natsume grabbed her hand and told her, "I'll surprise you."

And that was where they were heading now. To Natsume's surprise.

Natsume couldn't help his lip mime quietly too to the lyrics of Bon Jovi, and for a fraction of a second, he flickered his eyes to Mikan and laughed out loud when he saw her. She was headbanging now—she was wild and then he saw her thrust a fist up on the loud beat of the drum, only to punch the roof of the car—"Ow!" she cried and immediately, her other hand flew to it to gently caress it and from the driver's seat she could hear Natsume's laughter double.

"You idiot," he lightly commented as he threw her a brief smile, and then one of his hands swiftly left the wheel, only to take Mikan's aching hand and kiss her lightly on the knuckle.

Mikan sheepishly grinned as she said, "Thank you Natsume." After, she proceeded by turning the volume of the radio down before she let out a contented sigh. Her bright hazel eyes after glancing at Natsume flickered to the dark road outside, and then her eyebrows furrowed. They had been driving for quite a few minutes now, but Mikan had not realized their surroundings—the scenery outside didn't resemble Tokyo; Mikan saw more trees, less people, less cars and less buildings. "Where are we, Natsume?"

"Just outside Tokyo." Natsume vaguely answered after a pause with a knowing smile on his face. But then, he snorted, "To be honest with you, I have no bloody clue."

Mikan laughed only to happily say, "Well, as long as I have GPS, music, the bear you got me and you . . . I'm cool."

"I'm cool too."

Natsume didn't have to tell her what he meant by that—she already knew; as long as they had each other they were okay; they were invincible.

"What should we call him?"

Mikan's question startled Natsume, and for a brief moment images of Mikan carrying a baby boy in her arms flashed in his mind before he blinked thrice and asked, "What should we call who?"

"Him," Mikan pointed at her bear with laughter etched to her sweet voice, "of course!"

Mikan watched Natsume ponder for a second or two, before his lips curved up and he announced, "Natsume Junior."

"Natsume Junior?" Mikan incredulously repeated before she started to laugh. "Oh God Natsume you are _so _arrogant." But Mikan said it in such an endearing tone, it was almost as if she was saying those three words.

It really was her and him up against the world right now; Natsume didn't care about anything other than the girl who sat beside him—memories of his past and the aches he felt were fading away. It was as if up till now he used pain-killers in vain to discard the pain; yes, they did numb the pain but never did they get rid of it but now, he was actually getting rid of the pain, not numbing it, but actually discarding it . . . and it was all thanks to Mikan Sakura.

"Natsume Junior, huh?" Mikan tasted the name on her mouth before she giggled and looked back at the bear. It was a simple stuffed brown bear, with beady black eyes and a rather emotionless expression. Her hazel eyes locked with his beady black ones before a smile made its way to her face and she turned back around to declare, "Natsume Junior it is!—Oh my God, I love this song!" Again, her fingers turned up the volume of the radio and with a happy smile on her face she started to sing along.

**0**

Further and further away they drove away from Tokyo and then, it was past midnight when Natsume suddenly parked the car. He didn't park it in a parking lot or space, instead on the sidelines of the road. It was an isolated road, and only fields and hills of empty green lay beside them. "Come on, let's go." Natsume urged Mikan with a smile, as she clumsily unbuckled her seat belt.

Once Mikan slammed shut the car door behind her, with a quizzical yet cheerful smile she asked, "Where are we going?" she made her way to the other side of the car so she could lace her hands with Natsume's and she was mildly surprised when he started to climb the little hill of grass, pulling her along too.

Once they had reached the top of the hill, Mikan saw there was nothing in field, and for a second felt a sinister chill run up her spine. But then she remembered who she was with, and what this somebody meant to her.

"It's so dark!" she whispered in an amused tone and then she squealed when she felt Natsume's free hand suddenly squeeze her waist. "Stop that—that scared me!" she laughed, as she slammed her shoulder against his.

A calm silence followed and neither of them felt remotely awkward in it; but a little squeak escape from Mikan's lip when suddenly she felt Natsume drop down onto the ground; "Natsume—what are you—"

He gently shushed her, as he pulled her softly onto his lap. She obliged, and feeling rather snug in his arms and lap, she repeated her question again, this time more quietly and more tenderly. "While we were in Shibuya . . . I remembered you on our first date saying that you thought Tokyo wasn't the greatest city in the Japan and that you preferred the country side."

Mikan blinked before a sappy smile played on her cheek. She tilted her chin up, and managed to press a kiss on the corner of Natsume's lips before she thanked him. Mikan then rolled off Natsume, and lay down on the mildly cold ground and took in a deep breath as she looked up at the vast sky above her. Natsume too, lied down; putting his head down on the same level as Mikan but bending his knees so he wasn't flat on the ground like her. As he did so, he kept his gaze on Mikan, whose eyes were brightly shining as she looked up at the sky. Her voice was so soft and calming when she spoke, he couldn't help stop breathing for a second: "Did you know that we can see the same stars as the people in Los Angeles see?"

"No, I didn't."

Mikan smiled before she pointed a finger to the sky, only to inform, "You see those seven stars? The one's which are shining brighter than the others? That's the asterism, the Big Dipper."

"Which one's Polaris?" Natsume asked, quietly fascinated by Mikan's knowledge of the stars. She answered by pointing at it; he wasn't quite sure which one she _was _pointing at, but then, Mikan suddenly said, "You're a Sagittarius right? Your star sign?"

Natsume nodded before he smiled, "Why? Can you see it?"

"No . . . not tonight." Mikan replied after a moment of searching but then she continued, "Although I do think that Capricorns and Sagittarius's are compatible with each other."

Natsume let out a burst of laughter before he asked, "Do you believe in Horoscopes?"

"Why not? It's the closest thing to fairytales and magic!" Mikan exclaimed with a smile on her face. "Besides, Hotaru's a Scorpio and _everything _it says about that girl is so accurate it's scary."

"What, that she's anal?"

Mikan gasped before she hit Natsume on the shoulder. "She's not anal!" She cried, but she couldn't help a smile make its way to her face when she saw the darkly amused expression on Natsume's face, "She . . . she's—"

"A psychoanalyst."

"Yes!" Mikan agreed with a smile on her face, "Hotaru's a psychoanalyst!"

Natsume snorted as he responded by saying, "That's the polite way of saying anal, Polka."

Mikan playfully rolled her eyes before she looked back up at the sky. "No, no," Natsume heard her lyrically murmur, "she's great."

"And so am I." Natsume added with a grin etched on his face as he nudged Mikan's hand with his own fingers.

He heard her groan in a rather lighthearted manner before he felt Mikan's fingers curl around his own. "I suppose you are."

Natsume managed to cast his eyes away from the beautiful girl beside him and joined her by looking up into the sky. Sure enough, many stars were visible to them, and they all seemed to be approvingly twinkling at the two down on Earth. It was Natsume's turn now to tell her something: "Did you know we're made out of stardust?"

Mikan's head immediately snapped in his direction before she sceptically raised an eyebrow and chimed, "No way. Yeah right Natsume, I'm not that dumb."

"No, I'm being a 100 percent serious. The fact that the Earth and our bodies have lots of elements heavier than iron shows that not only the Earth and Sun but also our bodies were made from dust and gas from long dead stars." Natsume expertly replied, and he watched Mikan's hazel eyes widen with entrancement with ever syllable he said, in a soothing tone.

"So . . . when someone calls me a star, I'm actually one? I'm actually a star?"

Natsume nodded, "I suppose you are." And then, he turned to look back into her face, and when her eyes met with his, he kissed her.

**Rule The World – Take That**

_You light, the skies up above me  
A star, so bright you blind me  
Don't close your eyes  
Don't fade away  
Don't fade away_

_Yeah you and me we can ride on a star  
If you stay with me girl, we can rule the world  
Yeah you and me we can light up the sky  
If you stay by my side, we can rule the world._

_If walls break down, I will comfort you  
If angels cry, oh I'll be there for you  
You've saved my soul  
Don't leave me now  
Don't leave me now_

_Yeah you and me we can ride on a star  
If you stay with me girl, we can rule the world  
Yeah you and me we can light up the sky  
If you stay by my side, we can rule the world._

_All the stars are coming out tonight  
They're lighting up the sky tonight  
For you  
For you  
All the stars are coming out tonight  
They're lighting up the sky tonight  
For you  
For you,_

_Yeah you and me we can ride on a star  
If you stay with me girl, we can rule the world  
Yeah you and me we can light up the sky  
If you stay by my side, we can rule the world._

_All the stars are coming out tonight  
They're lighting up the sky tonight  
For you  
For you  
All the stars are coming out tonight  
They're lighting up the sky tonight  
For you  
For you_

**0**

The two had been stargazing and softly murmuring to one another for nearly an hour when Mikan suggested it was best for them to start making their way back to the Academy now, much to their dismay. They were driving back, winding down the roads they came from, and instead being crazy teenagers like they had been on their way, the two now were holding hands in an unspoken endearing manner. Natsume Junior was now even seated upon Mikan's lap, comfortably nestled there to provide her warmth.

"Natsume it's nearly 2am!" Mikan pointed out in a tone filled with surprise and unhappiness.

"At least it's Sunday tomorrow."

"Since when have _you_ been the," Mikan paused her sentence as a yawn crept up her throat, "the optimistic one? And how long till we get back?" Mikan's sleepy hazel eyes glanced outside the windows, and even though signs of civilisation (like little houses here and there, a 24 hour supermarket etc.) were getting more prominent, she could tell they were still far away from Tokyo, well, the Academy itself.

"Dunno, probably an hour and a bit." Natsume answered before his crimson eyes flickered in her direction and noted her tired expression. "I saw a sign for a hotel in the next 2km . . . do you want to stay the night there?"

Immediately, Mikan's attention was captured. She froze for a fraction of a second as she processed the information in her head, only to then loosen her grip on his hand. "A hotel? For a night? With _you_?"

Natsume rolled his eyes at her incredulous tone before he declared; "I'm not going to do anything funny. I'm only asking you if you want to because you seem shattered and quite honestly I'm pretty tired too."

Mikan quietly pondered for a bit, laying out the pros and cons in her head. Then after a few seconds she answered, "Why not. We'll crash at some cheap hotel for the night and then embark on our journey back tomorrow! Besides," she added with a smile on her face, "I'd rather spend the night with you than in my dorm room!"

Neither one of them had contacted anybody from the Academy since they left it; Mikan didn't bring her phone, but Natsume's on the other hand had his in his pocket but he had switched it off ages ago. For all they knew, people back at the Academy might've been starting up a search party for them, started by Ruka and Hotaru respectfully.

But the exhilarating aspect of being invisible was that _nobody knows where you are._

**0**

Mikan was still insisting she'd pay half of the price of the room, but Natsume kept declining her offer as they walked down the halls of the hotel (motel, would be more appropriate) quietly, hand in hand. It was small hotel, but even if it was rather dingy, neither of them complained; and when Mikan opened the door of the hotel room she even commented by saying she'd never been so happy to see a bed in her whole life.

Natsume liked that about her; she was the humblest person he had ever met. .

The room consisted of a small ensuite bathroom; a lonely chair accompanied with an old writing table; a lamp; a little couch; a coat hanger and finally a double bed.

Natsume couldn't help smile when he saw Mikan squeal and jump onto the bed, sighing with complete and utter contentment. He shook his head with amusement and was making his way over to the couch when he heard Mikan call after him; "Where are you going?"

Natsume motioned to the couch, "To sleep."

"What, on the couch? No way!" she argued, as she started to pat the space beside her on the bed. "Come on, I'm not _that _fat! You can fit in this bed with me!" Even though Mikan said that, she knew that Natsume had gone over to the couch not thinking he wouldn't be able to fit in the bed with her, but instead because he respected her.

And she respected and admired that.

Natsume turned the lamp off before he groped his way into bed, and once he got into the covers, she heard Mikan whine, "Hey, don't hog the blankie!" He also heard her giggle and whine more when he responded by pulling more of the covers away from her. Even though it was dark, he could imagine her childish expression and once he gave back some of the blanket to her, his hands made its way up to her face and he touched her face with both his hands. It was as if he were a blind man, and he was trying to draw a picture of Mikan in his mind by touching her face; he felt her smooth skin, traced his finger down her nose, and also felt the flutters of her eyelashes.

Mikan felt her heart thump in her chest when his fingers touched her lips and she felt completely overwhelmed when Natsume whispered, "You're a star, Mikan."

She responded by kissing him in a way she had never kissed him before.

That night, Mikan shone brightly than she ever did in her life. She gave all that she could offer to Natsume; her passion, her desire, her love and her innocence. On the starry night of May, Mikan gave herself away to the boy she believed she loved.

**0**

"_He's my first mistake."_

—_Mikan Sakura, 2010_

**0**

**End of Chapter Twenty Nine**


	34. In A Moment Everything Can Change

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Alice Gakuen in any single way.

**0**

**My Happy Ending  
**_**by Little Miss Giggle**_

**0**

**Chapter Thirty: In A Moment Everything Can Change**

**0**

Kyra Marie, my 1000th reviewer!  
And to the rest of you. Thank you so much.  
Hope you all had a happy new year!

**0**

**Play Innocence  
Avril Lavigne**

_Waking up I see that everything is okay  
The first time in my life and now it's so great  
Slowing down I look around and I am so amazed  
I think about the little things that make life great_

It's a strange feeling, waking up in a bed with somebody else in it when you're not used to it. Initially thoughts such as, 'OMFG WHERE AM I?' or 'WHO THE BLEEP?' might pass through one's head, and those two thoughts did indeed jolt through Mikan's brain the next morning. But literally after a fraction of a second, she recognised the dark tuft of black hair and spotted the infamous earring that belonged to no other than Natsume Hyuuga.

Her prior thoughts were completely forgotten as she observed Natsume sleeping, in an idle manner with a tranquil smile on her face. His breathing was deep and relaxed and for a minute, Mikan tried to _count _the number or dark eyelashes he luckily possessed before she yawned and stretched out for Natsume's phone, which was lazily lying on the bedside table. She turned it on rather sluggishly and disregarded all the pop ups of texts and missed calls he had received, thus she kept her eyes firmly on the top right hand corner to quickly check the time—9:14am—before she put it back down.

_I wouldn't change a thing about it  
This is the best feeling_

She blinked.

. . .

And that was when it dawned on Mikan.

Where she actually was and what she had done last night.

Wild thoughts started to run at 100mph in her head and unconsciously she started to clutch the blanket before—

"G'morning," a rather gruff voice greeted beside her, causing Mikan to jump slightly, with shock and surprise.

_This innocence is brilliant, I hope that it will stay  
This moment is perfect, please don't go away  
I need you now  
And I'll hold on to it, don't you let it pass you by_

"Y-You startled me!" she managed to state before turned her gaze fully on the boy who was still lying beside her in bed, only his bright red eyes looking up at her. Mikan couldn't help smile as she fondly touched his hair before Natsume let out a tired groan and the next thing Mikan knew, she was pulled back down into the bed by Natsume's firm arms.

"Hey—" Mikan protested with amusement as a fell back down on the bed, and before she could register anything else, she was staring into Natsume's crimson eyes.

"You okay?" Natsume asked, taking Mikan by surprise. His voice not only sounded genuine, but also it seemed to be ribboned with concern.

Mikan blinked thrice before she smiled back at him. "I'm okay," she promised, "I just . . ." _feel a bit embarrassed, _she truthfully whispered in her head but instead, to Natsume, she concluded, "don't really want to go back to school."

I found a place so safe, not a single tear  
The first time in my life and now it's so clear  
Feel calm I belong, I'm so happy here  
It's so strong and now I let myself be sincere

Natsume's eyes were burning into Mikan; he could tell she was keeping tight-lipped about something (he correctly guessed it was something to do with the happenings of last night) but nonetheless, he did not interrogate her, instead, he brought his index finger to her lips and touched the top of her cupid's bow affectionately. "You have a beauty spot here," he announced softly, taking Mikan by surprise again. This time however, she couldn't help the sheepish smile that made its way to her lips before she replied, "And _you_ have one," she placed her index finger on his strong, masculine jaw line, "here."

For a few seconds, they just stared at each other and Mikan noted how Natsume was now tracing her lips with his cool fingers, as if he was trying to memorize it off by heart.

_I wouldn't change a thing about it  
This is the best feeling_

"I don't want to go back either," Natsume admitted after a minute or so, and it took Mikan a few seconds to realize he was talking about the Academy, "we should just runaway abroad."

"Yeah," Mikan agreed with a sunny smile, "somewhere where there's lots of green and fresh air!"

"_With _a game arcade." Natsume inputted, with a smirk on his face.

"_With _a good ramen shop." Mikan added.

Natsume finally concluded, "And with a manga shop."

_This innocence is brilliant, I hope that it will stay  
This moment is perfect, please don't go away  
I need you now  
And I'll hold on to it, don't you let it pass you by_

Mikan laughed, "Okay fine. Somewhere green with a little arcade shop and a manga shop just for you, and on the corner of the arcade shop will be the ramen shop where you'll find me at when you're done spending all your money on games."

Times like these were precious to Natsume and Mikan. Making up things, and building up a fantasy world where no one but them could enter helped them forget about the harsh reality of the world and the sufferings that had both separately endured in the past.

"You sure you're okay?" Natsume asked again, with his brows furrowed slightly in suspicion. There was a feeble pause but before Mikan could reply, Natsume continued, "I hope you're not thinking that last night is going to change anything." Mikan blinked, surprised for the _third _time; Natsume had hit bullseye and she couldn't help but squeal when Natsume suddenly smushed her face, all but gently, with his pillow.

_It's the state of bliss you think you're dreaming  
It's the happiness inside that you're feeling  
It's so beautiful, it makes you wanna cry_

All the questions that had been bouncing around in Mikan's head started to cease as laughter echoed in their room. It was a pillow fight between Natsume and Mikan, and at one point, Mikan lunged, exclaiming, "Gotcha!", only to fall _off _the bed.

"Shit, you alright?" Natsume questioned, but there was obvious mirth in his voice, as he tried to hold back a throaty laugh whilst poor Mikan babyishly whined about her sore butt.

_It's the state of bliss you think you're dreaming  
It's the happiness inside that you're feeling  
It's so beautiful, it makes you wanna cry_

_It's so beautiful, it makes you want to cry_

But then Mikan looked up at him, with a changed expression on her face. No longer could Natsume see the anxiety or perturbed emotions swimming in Mikan's eyes like earlier, instead he saw nothing but genuine content. Her voice was like the wind chimes to his ears when she declared, "I don't regret anything, Natsume. I love you."

_I love you._

_I love you._

_Je t'aime._

_Te amo._

_愛してるよ。_

_Te amo._

_Je t'aime._

_I love you._

I _love_ you.

And she meant it one hundred percent. The initial fear, worry and concern had all washed away, and honestly she couldn't believe she had _felt _scared for even a second!

She loved him, goddammit!

_This innocence is brilliant, it makes you want to cry  
This innocence is brilliant, please don't go away  
'Cause I need you now  
And I'll hold on to it, don't you let it pass you by_

Her words were sinking into every single pore on his body, and it was as if _I love you _was diffusing into his heart, into his blood stream. Natsume Hyuuga wasn't the type of person who gets words stuck in his throat, but right then he felt a stammer rising on his lips, and before he could reply to those eight lettered words, and the beautiful girl who was looking at up him with such . . . _emotions _in her eyes, Natsume's phone beeped from the bedside table.

The two blinked, startled, but then Mikan explained, "Oh I'm sorry that was me. I turned your phone on to check the time—I forgot to tell you about that. You had . . . quite a few missed calls and texts."

Natsume snorted, as he made his way towards the bedside table, "No fear, I bet they're all Ruka or Tobita—. . ." Mikan noted however, how after a few seconds of clicking around on his phone, Natsume's eyes widened and the earlier expression he wore on his face looked as if it had been wiped off completely with a towel.

_This innocence is brilliant, it makes you want to cry  
This innocence is brilliant, please don't go away  
'Cause I need you now  
And I'll hold on to it, don't you let it pass you by._

She even heard him breath a, "What the hell . . ." before his head snapped in her direction with all his previous tender emotions gone.

Vanished.

Replaced by an emotion she had never seen present on Natsume's face.

Fear.

". . . Everything okay, Natsume? Mikan asked tentatively, in a soft voice. But inside her heart was beating fast; alarm bells were wailing in her head—

"I have to get back. To Tokyo." Natsume blurted, and before Mikan could stand up from the floor, Natsume was getting ready; buttoning up his shirt, combing his hair with his fingers, putting on his trousers . . .

Mikan blinked, finally realizing _what _was going on and stood up, "What? Now? What about breakfa—"

"I have to go." Natsume interrupted, and Mikan couldn't help swallow—his tone of voice becoming so distant, so far away.

"Then I'll go with you." Mikan responded, as she reached out for her white dress and just as she was pulling it over her head, she heard Natsume's voice reply. "No. It's fine." Mikan had finally pulled her dress over her head, and she looked over at his rather panic-stricken expression and added, "But I'm ready—"

"Mikan. Please."

Mikan froze. She didn't know what to say.

. . . What had happened to the minutes before? What did that text say—

"O-Okay."

Mikan bit her lip, as Natsume started to make his way towards her but she couldn't help squeak when he suddenly hugged her. "I'm sorry, Mikan." She heard him murmur into her hair, and before she could ask _again _what the hell was going on, Mikan felt Natsume push a wad of money into her hands. "That should pay for both the room and the taxi home. Ask the man at the reception desk to call you a taxi—"

"Natsume. What's wrong?" Mikan cut him off, genuinely frightened now. "Please tell me, you're scaring me—"

"It's nothing." was Natsume assured answer but she didn't believe it one bit. "Don't worry—I'll see you back at the Academy, okay?"

"Okay." Mikan's reply was small, and faltering. She felt a kiss on her head but soon after, she felt all the heat he emanated vanish as moved away, now making his way to the door. Mikan watched him go with bewilderment, frustration but most of all, fear, pounding in her heart.

_Click._

Nothing but silence filled the room after Natsume closed the door behind him, giving Mikan one fleeting glance.

Mikan was rooted to the ground, unsure on what to do next—her mind was blank. But then, she felt a tear fall down her face, which caused her to fly back into the moment, the present. "Why am I crying?" she muttered to herself, as she wiped her cheeks and eyes with the back of her hand.

She took in a deep breath.

She didn't know the answer to her own question.

Maybe it was because she thought he would tell her what was wrong.

Maybe it was because she was worried _sick _about him and his uneasy expression.

Maybe it was because she told him she loved him and . . . well, he didn't exactly say anything back.

. . .

Maybe it was because, for some reason, that felt like goodbye.

**0**

_He called me a star. I'd never felt so beautiful, and so bright in my life. But I was silly; I'd forgotten what my best friend had told me about stars when we were younger. The biggest, brightest stars are the first to die. _

**0**

_**Missed Calls:**__  
Ruka (7)  
Koko (2)  
Kitsune-me (2)  
Tobita (19)  
Unknown (1)  
Mum (1)_

_**Messages – Message Inbox:  
**__From: Ruka  
Hey, Natsume—where'd you go?  
Date: 1/05/2008  
Time: 09:51 p.m._

_From: Tobita  
Hi Natsume. I'm very happy for our success in the Fourth Round but please ring me back, or text me back your whereabouts.  
Thank you.  
Tobita Yuu  
Date: 1/05/08  
Time: 10:16 p.m._

_From: Ruka  
Natsume, where the hell are you? Answer you phone, goddammit! Tobita's going nuts!  
Date: 1/05/2008  
Time: 11:47 p.m._

_From: Ruka  
Okay. Not funny anymore. I know you're out with Sakura—her best friend Imai just came knocking on our door, and told us Sakura's missing too. I swear to God she nearly castrated Koko. Call me when you get this.  
Date: 1/05/2008  
Time: 11:58 p.m._

_From: Koko  
CALL BACK. SOS. YUU GOING CRAZY.  
PS WHERE ON EARTH ARE U? OR ARE YOU NOT ON THE EARTH ANYMORE? LOL.  
Date: 2/05/2008  
Time: 12:17 a.m._

_From: Koko  
R U DEAD?  
Date: 2/05/2008  
Time: 12:23 a.m._

_From: Kitsune-me  
Dude, come back. Please. Hotaru Imai has been knocking on our door every ten minutes for the past hour like a Nazi. Tobita's paranoia isn't helping either. Just call back. BTW Koko now thinks you're dead.  
Date: 2/05/2008  
Time: 12:47 a.m._

_From: Tobita  
NATSUME, PLEASE CALL ME BACK ASAP!  
Date: 2/05/2008  
Time: 01:02 a.m. _

_From: Ruka  
We've managed to give Tobita sleeping pills. You should be grateful—he was about to call the police on your arse. Call us in the morning. And be prepared to be murdered by Hotaru Imai, mate.  
Date: 2/05/2008  
Time: 01:08 a.m._

_From: Ruka  
Natsume, this is urgent. Tobita just got a call from your father. He's coming down to Tokyo today and will be arriving at 11 with your mother, to see you and Aoi. Please get back to the Academy asap.  
Date: 2/05/2008  
Time: 09:21 a.m._

_**Voicemail: **__Hello, Natsume dear. It's your mother and your father has a big case in Tokyo and we'd thought we'd both come down to visit both you and your sister. Your manager has already informed us you weren't at school last night, all night and that you haven't returned any calls, but I hope you get this message. Your father wants an early dinner with you and Aoi tonight, so make sure you're free. We'll be staying at the Prince Hotel so come visit us as soon as you can. We're in Room 322. See you later.  
_

_**Messages – **__**Compose New Message**_

_To: 080-xxx-xxx  
Aoi, I don't know if you know but mum and dad are coming down and they want to see us. Natsume  
Date: 2/05/2008  
Time: 09:41 a.m._

_**Send**__** – Don't Send**_

_**. . . Message Sent.**_

**0**

The taxi ride was slow, vapid . . . but Mikan couldn't help clench and unclench her small hands in her lap, the whole way home. She was unconsciously touching her hair _way _more than she usual does, and her lips felt raw from biting them so much.

She was _scared_. And for some reason, she hated herself so much for feeling like that—for feeling this paranoia that Natsume had in fact just _left _her because . . . well, he _had _her. She abhorred herself for even thinking such preposterous things—she loved him! . . . but he never said those words back to her . . .

_No, no, don't say that! Stop doubting him!_

Thoughts were building unhealthily in her head, which caused her skin to go cold and clammy and Mikan didn't even realize when the taxi driver informed her that she had arrived.

"Miss? Excuse me? Miss?"

Mikan blinked, startled for a fraction of a second. "Huh? O-_Oh!_" Immediately, feeling humiliation course through her veins she clambered around for the money notes and passed them to the taxi driver. "Sorry. Here you go."

"Thanks miss . . ." the taxi driver replied, with a small smile on his face as he counted the notes he had just received. But before Mikan could get out of the car, the taxi driver stopped her, "Miss . . . you gave me too much!"

"Huh? . . . _Oh!_"

Really, she felt so embarrassed! "Sorry!" she apologized again, her cheeks growing hotter by the second. "I-I'm just not myself today." She hastily explained, as the taxi driver kindly passed a few notes back to her in a rather fatherly way.

"Well," he smiled, "I hope you feel better soon."

Finally, Mkan smiled. "Thank you."

But that smile of hers disappeared when she turned to look around at the Alice Academy as the taxi drove off. Gakuen Alice never once had struck her as an unfriendly, hostile place (it had become a second home to her in all honesty) but right now, there wasn't anywhere she'd rather _not _be than the Academy . . . the pretty white walls of the Gakuen looked _too _perfect, _too _luminous. Mikan could only bravely fist her hands to brace herself for the Academy, as for some reason she felt as if gossip and whispers were going to follow her like a shadow all day long, on the second of May, 2008.

Soon enough her little feet were briskly making its way to the Academy, and she fumbled rather clumsily with the money, before she tersely turned her gaze down to her hands when—

_Bang!_

"Owch!" Mikan exclaimed, as she recoiled backwards, clutching her head with her free hand as she did so. Mikan had just bashed into someone on the streets and for a fraction of a second she tended her head before she realized she had basically just crashed into someone due to her carelessness. "I-I'm so sorry!" Mikan squeaked, as she frantically snapped her head up, only to look into a pair of olive green eyes, which belonged to a blonde boy she did not recognize.

She was surprised when she heard him reply, in a humourous tone, "For a small girl you sure have a hard head!" She also noted how he caressed his chest (the area that collided with her head) with his hand and also did not fail to notice his very easy smile.

"I'm so sorry!" Mikan repeated, feeling genuinely embarrassed as he looked down at her with mirth. God, it really was not her day. "I-I . . . I'm just so out of it!"

Blonde Boy smiled; "Do you want me to get a taxi for you?"

"Oh no, no, no! I'm alright! In fact, I just got _out _of a taxi," Mikan explained, "I go here." Her head motioned to the Alice Academy and she saw the boy's blonde eyebrows raise—"No kidding!" he answered with a wide grin etched on his face, "My best friend goes there!"

"Really?" Mikan questioned, excitement suddenly fluttering in her body. "What's his name?"

"Tsubasa Andou, maybe you've heard of him—"

Before Blonde Boy could finish his sentence, Mikan squealed, "Oh my God! I know Tsubasa! He's my senpai; I had dinner with him on New Year's Eve with his friends and . . ." suddenly her excitement died down; there was a pause before she finally concluded in a sad voice, "my friends . . ."

Even though Blonde Boy did not know who this incredibly beautiful girl was (let alone her _name!_) he could tell by the way she was biting her lips that she had just treaded into some, he guessed, memories she did not wish to remember. Her big eyes; her full cheeks; and that beauty spot on her cupid's bow—! All of it reminded him of words such a _cute, adorable _and for some reason, looking at her amber eyes gave him an urge to protect this girl.

Maybe it was because her eyes somehow reminded him of Bambi's . . .

Damn psychological strange behaviours!

"Well, I'm Sono Kaname." Blonde Boy said, holding out a hand towards Mikan. He was glad when she took his hand and even more glad when he saw that a more cheerful expression had replaced her prior one. "I'm Mikan Sakura," she replied, as she shook Kaname's hand, "it's nice to meet you."

Kaname smiled once again, but then his eyes snapped open—"Mikan Sakura?" he incredulously demanded, as his mouth gaped open. "Wait—Mikan _Sakura_? One of the final contestants of the Fifth Round?"

Mikan was startled. Blonde Boy, no—Kaname _knew _about her? ". . . Yes?"

_And the one who's going out with Natsume Hyuuga? _Kaname questioned in his head but did not voice it; after all he had just met the Bambi-eyed girl! "Oh sweet!" he whistled, before he added, "Tsubasa _has _mentioned you!"

"I hope it's only good things!"

Kaname laughed, "But of course!" _Except for that fact that you're going out with Natsume Hyuuga . . . Tsubasa sounded worried_. "Well then, Miss Sakura, I will see you backstage at the next round!"

Mikan's eyebrow furrowed, "Back stage for the next round?"

"Tsubasa got me VIP tickets for the Fifth Round!" he explained kindly as couldn't help smile when he saw Mikan gasp in comprehension. "It's so great having Tsubasa as a best mate—free concerts! Mind you, I owe him back with free premiere tickets, but no matter . . ."

Mikan hummed happily before she sighed, "Well it was lovely to meet you, Kaname! And I'll see you soon!" She took hold of his hand and squeezed it and gave him one last smile before she started to make her way towards the Academy.

"It was nice to meet you too, Mikan Sakura!" he called after her and couldn't help grin when she turned back to wave at him.

Sono Kaname, that day, was hit by Cupid's arrow and couldn't help walk gaily down the streets of Tokyo after that.

Mikan Sakura, that day, on the other hand, after bidding a goodbye to Sono Kaname wanted nothing but an invisibility cloak. She felt eyes follow her once she had entered the Academy's turf and never in her life had she felt so alone—so _vulnerable_, so _paranoid_ . . . but what scared her the most was the fact that deep down she knew why she was feeling like this. But she didn't want to believe it, let alone admit it.

And it had everything to do with Natsume Hyuuga.

**0**

"Are you _sure _she went out with . . . _him_?" Anna double-checked as she watched with frightful eyes, Hotaru Imai pace up and down the living room, as she repetitively tapped her fingers on her chin. Hotaru didn't reply though, she looked deep in thought and networks of wrinkles were etched on her face.

Hotaru was obviously worried, the three girls could tell.

Hotaru Imai never really bothered Anna, Nonoko or Sumire with chats about Mikan; and even though she was stood firmly beside Mikan, she acted rather blasé about the whole argument—she was Swiss; neutral (although a bit biased as Mikan was her best friend). So the three girls were mildly surprised that morning, when they got up at around 9:30am, only for Hotaru to ask them if Mikan had contacted them by any chance, the previous night.

"Why would she contact _us?_" was Sumire's rather scathing response, but when Hotaru explained to them that Mikan was missing, she saw Sumire's emerald green eyes widen in fear. "What?" she barked, like a dog. "What do you _mean _she's missing?"

"She hasn't called and nobody knows where she is . . . or where _Hyuuga _is . . ." was Hotaru's explanation, and then Hotaru observed all three girls exchanged looks.

Nonoko, trying to break the ice, suggested, "Why don't we go to Aoi's room and ask her to call her brother?"

"I've already been—her roommates told me that she went to the Prince Hotel or somewhere, early this morning. I've also been up all night, knocking on _his _door, asking his roommates to call him. Apparently both Mikan and Hyuuga are similar in the aspect that they _never answer their bloody phones._" And that's when the pacing had begun, but even though Hotaru restlessly paced up and down, she didn't fail to notice that the other three girls looked genuinely worried themselves and looked as if they were desperately trying to come up with theories or ideas themselves about Mikan's whereabouts.

_They still care about her . . ._

"Have you been to Hyuuga's room this morning?" Sumire suddenly questioned, capturing Hotaru's attention successfully.

"No," Hotaru answered truthfully, "I haven't." She probably would've but last night's experience with that room was something she never wanted to experience _again _in her life.

"Well, you can go to their room and ask them if _they _have heard from Hyuuga this morning." Sumire proposed with a very passive face. "And maybe get his number too, as knowing Mikan she's probably forgotten her phone in her room . . ." the girls all couldn't help giggle at that and even on Hotaru's face a smile made its way, slowly but surely.

All of a sudden, there was a knock on the door.

At first, a breathless pause. Then, violet, navy, blue and emerald eyes all widened. And finally, Hotaru made a move; she scrambled her way in a very un-Hotaru-like way to the door and whooshed it open—

"Mikan!"

Mikan's amber eyes could only widen in surprise when Hotaru suddenly _hugged _her out of the blue. "Hota—"

"You _idiot!_" Hotaru harshly interrupted, and Mikan couldn't believe how quickly her emotions flashed. "_Where _were you? Do you know how _worried _I was? How worried we _all_ were?" Mikan opened her mouth to reply, but she cut off again by Hotaru, who now closed the door behind Mikan, "You should be _glad _that not many people know about your outing last night with Hyuuga as gossip and lies would've spread like _wildfire._ You spent a night out with _Natsume Hyuuga! _Do you know how that _sounds_?" Hotaru took in a deep breath to take in some oxygen, but then she saw vulnerability in Mikan's eyes she had never seen, as well as traces of guilt . . . her amber eyes were dashing all over the place, and it was as if she couldn't bring her eyes to Hotaru's eyes.

"I'm sorry." was Mikan's very, very meek reply.

Suddenly, there was a clanking noise from the living room, and both Mikan and Hotaru snapped their heads up to see that Nonoko had accidently dropped her cup. "Sorry," was her feeble apology as she reached down to pick it up. "butterfingers." She added as an explanation after an afterthought and Mikan could hear Sumire and Anna snicker and giggle at Nonoko.

The tension in the air had diffused to a slight extent, but nevertheless Hotaru's expression, Mikan noted, were still so very harsh and yet so inscrutable at the same time. "I want an explanation, Mikan." Hotaru clarified suddenly, and her words had captured _all _of the girls' attention. "Goddammit Mikan, you can't be so irresponsible!" Hotaru continued when Mikan stayed mute, her eyes still not looking in the direction of Hotaru but lamely on the floor.

"Mikan . . ." Hotaru's voice was now soft, and very gentle, "what's wrong?"

"N-Nothing." Her reply was completely unconvincingly, to everybody, but especially to Hotaru.

It was the first time in Hotaru's life she had ever felt so detached from Mikan. Mikan wasn't telling her what was wrong—something she used to do on a daily basis. And Hotaru was hurt, offended but most of all, dejected.

But she didn't give up. Her exterior was still calm as she repeated this time with more passion, "What's _wrong_?"

Mikan's response was snappy and curt: "I said nothing!" and Hotaru was completely taken aback and couldn't help blink as she processed everything in her brain.

Silence followed.

It was an awkward silence that seemed to stretch out for an eternity. Then it was broken, by somebody completely unexpected to Mikan and Hotaru—Sumire Shouda.

Sumire's voice wasn't in a sneering or rude tone as it had been in the past weeks. Instead, it was very soft and almost very comforting, as she said, "It's Hyuuga, isn't it?"

Mikan who had been fidgeting like a frightened bunny immediately froze (Hotaru observed) at his name and this didn't go unnoticed by Sumire Shouda. Another bubble of silence followed before Sumire let out a sigh, and then, in a sisterly manner she pressed on, "Mikan, I don't know what's going on . . . but I know that look. Your tired, lifeless eyes . . . I _had _those same eyes a few months ago before I became friends with you—"

"Shut up, Shouda!"

Anna, Nonoko, Hotaru and Sumire were _all _shocked when Mikan had suddenly shrieked that; not only did she call Sumire _Shouda _but on her face was a fierce expression and before anybody could say anything, Mikan continued with such ferocity that, honestly, she did not look herself. "He didn't _do _anything to me okay? Everything is _fine _between us! So can you please _stop _acting like you know everything? Because you don't! You don't know anything about Natsume—about his past, or how he feels or what he's really like! You," she pointed at Sumire, "you always paint him out to be this evil character but he's not!" She accused, her voice now rising, "He's not at all! He's just a human being like me and you but you make him sound like a _monster!_ But in reality, _you're _the monster! Your scheming manipulative ways and your lies! _Yes, _Shouda I know! I _know _that you lied to me about him wanting to 'bang' me and in all honesty I think you paint him out to be such a horrible person because you don't want anybody but _yourself _with him!" Mikan was so caught up in her aggressive, 100mph speech that she didn't realize that everybody in the room (sans Hotaru) possessed horrified looks and tears were clinging to their eyes. "You're just the jealous ex-girlfriend who wants nothing more but her ex back! Admit it! There's evidence on your lower back—your tattoo! So just admit it, Shouda!"

Hotaru knew that people could _explode _if their feelings are repressed for too long but she also knew, for an explosion to happen there had to be a trigger. And she was more than certain Sumire's previous comforting words were _not _the trigger, and if she didn't know any better, her assumption and blame for this . . . _mess _was none other than Natsume Hyuuga.

Natsume Hyuuga was the trigger

Suddenly Hotaru understood. The past _bad_, _omnionous _feelings she had got . . . it was this, it was about all of this—! All of this distrust, silence, anger, paranoia, accusations between each other . . . _This _is what she had been fearing of all this time.

Mikan's breathing rate was deep and rather fast after she had yelled her last sentence, and after she had calmed down for a bit, feelings such as regret and guilt started to sink into Mikan's skin, _especially _when she saw Sumire Shouda do something she had never seen before.

Sumire Shouda was crying.

"Permy . . ." Anna worriedly called, as she touched her arm in a comforting way but there was no mistake that Anna needed comforting herself—the twins also had tears running down their cheeks.

"I'm sorry, Mikan." Sumire managed to say, in a rather watery and constricted voice while Mikan felt her heart being squeezed—"I'm sorry. It's true, I _did _lie to you . . . but I lied to protect you because Mikan, I _know _what he does—he did it to me, not that long ago! You right now . . ." her emerald eyes gazed into Mikan's guilty amber ones, "I was that a few months ago. I was scared, confused and completely in denial that he would do such thing! I was you . . . but with no friends so goddammit you don't know how _happy _I was when I was invited by you to be your roommate! And t-this!" she then suddenly violently pulled her top up to show everybody in the room her tattoo and she continued, but now with bitter hatred evident in her voice, "do you know how much I want to _cry _whenever I see this tattoo? I was so . . . stupid! So callow! This, this wretched tattoo still affects me _now _and haunts me to this day! It's a reminder of being heartbroken and friendless! I hate it! I hate it so much!" Sumire sobbed even harder, but then her head snapped back in the direction of Mikan who was by now unconsciously in tears. "I've covered it up with makeup in the past . . . but just because it's covered and faded doesn't mean it's _gone_. It's still there on my back and it will be until I save enough money for an operation! So now do you _really _think I want to get back with Natsume Hyuuga? Think about that." And those lingering last words, Sumire Shouda pushed past all the girls and in a few moments they all heard the front door shut close.

**0**

"Permy?" Nonoko called, as her and Anna pushed open the girl's bathroom by the canteen, "are you here?"

"Yes," came a rather stuffy reply, and Anna and Nonoko could only sigh in relief when they saw Permy sitting down in a powder chair, applying foundation to her face; "don't look at me, I look disgusting." Permy added, and Anna and Nonoko couldn't help laugh while they made their ways towards her.

"No way, Permy," Anna answered, as she cupped her hands around Permy's shoulder while she looked at the mirror reflection of the three girls, "you always look beautiful to me."

"Yeah right." Permy scoffed back, as she now tried in vain to conceal the puffiness of her red eyes. "I look like a pig."

"Here, let me," Anna kindly offered and Permy without objection let Anna do her makeup.

"We were looking for you for _ages._" Nonoko claimed, as she leaned her body on the little makeup table. "I'm so glad we found you!"

"Yeah, well I escaped the Academy for the bit," Permy explained, "and _that _is why I have makeup on me. I blew my last couple of Yens on all _this._"

"Well," Nonoko smiled, "retail therapy _does _exist after all."

All girls smiled at that statement, but then silence followed for a fair few seconds before Anna cleared her throat and bravely asked, "So are you okay?"

There was a pause before Permy sighed, "Yeah I am now, thanks."

"Mikan's really sorry. She couldn't stop crying after you left and Hotaru's being rather cold to her too—telling her she crossed the line." Nonoko said, as she took Permy's hand softly in a comforting way.

"I'm just glad Aoi wasn't there." Permy answered calmly. "It would have been much worse if she was."

"Yes, Hotaru did mention she's gone to the Prince Hotel . . . I wonder what for." Nonoko added after an afterthought but this was quickly dismissed when she continued, "But you're right. It would've been much worse if Aoi was there . . . poor sweetheart; imagine having such a brother. He's the reason for all of this . . ."

Permy let out a heavy sigh before she slowly exclaimed, "But you both do know she wouldn't have said all of that if she didn't love him, right?"

"Love?" both girls repeated incredulously, their identical eyes widening. Anna then proceeded by laughing unsurely, "Oh come on Permy—_love? _She's sixteen—"

"That what he does! He makes you fall hard in love and then he just . . . leaves. He cuts you out of his life. He just . . ." she groaned in frustration, before she firmly locked eyes with twins' eyes through the mirror, "just trust me. Mikan Sakura loves Natsume Hyuuga."

"Y-You really think she loves him?" Nonoko whispered, and Anna ceased putting makeup on Permy, waiting for the answer—

"That's not the problem . . ." Permy softly replied, "it's if _he _loves her back. Because that's always the problem, isn't it?"

**0**

_All the girls that you've run dry have tired, lifeless eyes  
Cause you burned them out_

_But I took your matches before fire could catch me._

**0**

Mr. Noguchi was your average cleaner; he was a bit plump and a bit silly at times, and always whistled the Pokémon theme tune. He worked in the Alice Academy as one of the many janitors, but also as a mechanic—he took care of all of the cars (which belonged to teachers or the Academy itself, such as band cars). He was in possession of all the Academy's keys and this included the car keys of the cars that technically were the Academy's. So when Mr. Noguchi was whistling his morning away, he suddenly noticed how one of the cars (_Crimson Abyss_'s band car, which belonged to the Academy, to be exact) was parked very badly indeed. He sighed. Whoever had parked this car was obviously in a rush, he mentally concluded, because the car was taking up _two _parking spaces!

Tut tut.

He then smiled. _Mr. Noguchi to the rescue! _he thought to himself, as he produced all the car keys from his pocket. Mr. Noguchi decided, while he was finding the keys, he was going to park this car (more professionally)! He also recalled that when he had peered in the car earlier, he had seen it was a bit dusty, not to mention messy.

Mr. Noguchi saw this opportunity as hitting two birds with one stone because he'll not only park the car more efficiently but he could _also_ cleanthe mess inside!

After a few minutes, the car was parked perfectly in _one _parking space, and Mr. Noguchi had collected most of the rubbish in a black bin bag. Just as he thought he was done, his eyes suddenly caught sight of brown _ears_, wedged under the front passenger seat. Bewildered, and curious, Mr. Noguchi bent down and stretched his arm . . . and pulled out a toy bear from under the passenger seat!

But then he frowned.

Well. The bear was under the passenger seat . . . so it was rubbish? He wasn't sure. But then recalled _who _the band members of _Crimson Abyss _were (the blonde boy, the two similar boys and the dark horse guy . . .) and for some reason he could not picture any of the members with such a bear!

Not to mention it looked extremely cheap and tattered.

"It's rubbish!" he concluded, before he put the bear in the rubbish bag, along with the empty bottles he had found in the back seats. He grinned, as she closed the door of the car. "Mr. Noguchi saves the day again!" he exclaimed to himself happily before he continued whistling the Pokémon theme tune, swinging the rubbish bag in his left hand.

The rubbish bag which contained Natsume Junior, the bear.

If only Mr. Noguchi knew how important that bear was to the 'dark horse' of _Crimson Abyss_, Natsume Hyuuga, and what it symbolised. It symbolised the sweet promise of lovers.

Yet Natsume Junior was to now suffer life in a land fill, a fate consisting only of deterioration.

**0**

Natsume was clenching and unclenching his fist as he walked down the corridor that lead to Room 322.

His parents were in Tokyo.

_His parents were in Tokyo._

He had left the girl he loved behind.

_He had left the girl he loved behind._

Unwanted memories of the past were swirling faintly in the back of his mind as he drew closer to the door and he felt a very familiar feeling in the pit of his stomach.

It was the same feeling he used to get when he was younger, every Friday evening when his father came home.

But even with the familiar feeling and the haunting memories drifting in his mind, he was more preoccupied with the thoughts of Mikan and how he had just _left _her. He was stupid—he must've scared her, he knew, and he would've called Mikan if his stupid phone hadn't died after he had texted Aoi, and finally contacted Ruka and Yuu in the car on the way back to Tokyo. He had no time to charge his phone either because as soon as he got back to the Academy he literally ran to his room, spoke to Ruka and the boys for a fraction of a second before he grabbed just enough money for a train ticket and left. He was panicking; he was _scared _goddammit—his father was in town! The man he loathed yet feared so much was here in Tokyo! But it was only on the train, as it rolled slowly forwards, and after he had calmed down a bit when he thought of Mikan, and realized what it must be like for her—he had left her in a hotel room after they had just made love last night.

Anybody could admit that sounded pretty bad.

It made him seem like he had just escaped after he _bagged _her.

Thoughts like these were the only thing that occupied Natsume's brain for the whole train ride, and he was desperate to call her (he even asked a stranger for his phone on the train for Chrissake, but the bastard said no).

And here he was now, literally metres away from his parents—a mere _door _being the only thing between them . . . and even so, he still thought mostly of Mikan.

There was also the fact he didn't manage to say _I love you _back.

He was so stupid—

All of a sudden, the door opened, revealing a man in his early 50s who wore nothing but an inscrutable expression. "Hello, Natsume."

Natsume gritted his teeth before he unclenched his jaw, the thoughts of Mikan immediately dispelling. ". . . Hello, father." was his equally unfeeling greeting to the man who had the title father, which he definitely did not deserve.

**0**

**End of Chapter Thirty**

**0**


	35. Haunted

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Alice Academy/Gakuen Alice, and nor do I own any of the songs used in this fanfiction so far. Thank you.

**My Happy Ending  
**_**by Little Miss Giggle**_

**0**

**Chapter Thirty One: Haunted**

**0**

Nothing but Mikan's quiet sobs filled the room, as Hotaru silently watched her best friend shake with tears on the couch, the face hidden in her own hands. For the first time in her life, Hotaru Imai did not know what to say to her best friend, Mikan. Flashes of memories were quickly playing in her head; bouncing up and down in her mind . . . and now that Hotaru thought about it, she had never seen Mikan like _this. _

Her and Mikan had met when they were so very young; Hotaru was the new girl and the little girl with missing front teeth who introduced herself as, "Princess Mikan" soon became one of the most significant person in her life.

Hotaru guiltily kept her gaze on Mikan and even mentally punished herself for not being able to anything; she was sure the other girls would've known how to deal with tears . . . it was just, Hotaru wasn't used to Mikan hysterically crying_ seriously_. Nevertheless, not being able to see this Mikan in front of her for any longer, she smoothly edged closer to her.

She knew there was something Mikan wasn't saying.

And _that _was the root of the problem.

She could _smell _it.

"Mikan . . ." Hotaru started softly, as she gingerly put a hand on her shaking shoulders, "it's only me and you . . . please tell me what's wrong—"

"Hotaru, nothing is wrong." Mikan interrupted, surprisingly steadily yet this time with no anger or bitterness; only with complete sadness and (to Hotaru) complete falseness. Her expression, her body language and Hotaru's intuition said otherwise, after all.

Mikan's ears were ringing, and her cheeks felt like raisins from all the tears she had shed that morning. It had been twenty minutes since Anna and Nonoko ran after Sumire, and honestly, Mikan couldn't help but feel numb. She was disgusted at herself, yet another part of her still nagged that what she did was right as it was her and Natsume up against the world.

Yet everything this morning made another part of herself believe that, well, he wasn't in love with her like she believed.

And that in reality he really was the lady-killer people made him out to be.

And that maybe she was deceived this whole entire time.

Under his "spell".

_No, no . . . that can't be right. Think about everything you've been through; he's helped you and he told you about his secret—_

"Mikan . . . I thought we were best friends."

That unexpected statement from Hotaru made Mikan finally pull her head up from her face. She sniffed, and viciously wiped her eyes (only for them to blur again in a matter of seconds) before she turned to look over at her best friend, who she noticed look distant and (she couldn't believe it) upset. "We _are_ best friends," she confirmed, her voice watery.

"Then _what _is going on between us?" Hotaru demanded, while a sad ghost smile appeared on her face. "You're not telling me things and . . . the person _I _saw a few minutes ago, was definitely not the Mikan Sakura I knew." There was a pregnant pause before Hotaru continued in a murmur, "What have you become?"

"But _nothing _is wrong!" Mikan repeated, completely ignoring Hotaru's silent pleas to tell the truth. "And I'm still _me_, Hotaru! You _know _what happened a few minutes ago was a one off, I-I . . . I just lost control! It just came all exploding out—"

"_Why?_"

"_Because, okay?_" Mikan yelled, as she stood up from the couch feeling nothing but frustration and anger now. Her head whirled in the direction of Hotaru before she continued in an equally vehement tone, "It all came exploding out because I had been keeping that in me for quite some months now, _okay_? _Okay?_"

Silence.

Mikan could've sworn she saw Hotaru's eyes glisten for a fraction of a second, but after a mere blink, it was gone. But the empty, dejected expression in Hotaru's eyes still lingered, as she looked at her.

The tension was palpable, and Mikan immediately regretted her outburst directed at Hotaru, who had been so forgiving, so understanding, so tolerant with her these past few months—"Hotaru, I'm sorr—"

But it was Hotaru's turn to now interrupt Mikan, in a rather indifferent tone: "I think you need some time to cool down. I'll leave you."

Mikan opened her mouth and closed it as she saw Hotaru stand up and swiftly make her way to the front door. After comprehending the situation, Mikan snapped out of her reverie and chased after her best friend, as she cried, "Hotaru, I'm sorry—I didn't mean that! I'm sorry, I—"

"I'll see you later." was Hotaru's last words as she opened and closed the door behind her, not once looking back at Mikan.

Mikan could only slowly slump down on the floor, her tears multiplying by a multiple of ten. She was wailing, sobbing, shaking but most importantly, Mikan was now completely alone.

_What have you become? What have you become? What have you become? What have you become? What have you become? What have you become? What have you become? What have you become? What have you become? What have you become? What have you become? What have you become? What have you become? What have you become?_

Hotaru's words were echoing in her head, overlapping, like a broken cassette player in her head as she blindly made her way to her room, to her bed. Lamely she fell on the bed, and her pillow soaked up her tears . . . _What have I become?_

That was the last sentence she thought of before she fell asleep, due to exhaustion, loneliness, and a heavy heart.

**0**

Dinner, in Natsume's world, was usually spent in his room, on his couch while watching television with his friends and Mikan. It usually consisted of takeout, but the point was, dinner was always a time Natsume Hyuuga enjoyed.

Not to mention, dinner in Natsume's world was around eight o'clock in the evening.

Not at 5 o'clock, in a stuffy upscale restaurant at one of Tokyo's most exclusive hotels. Not eating food, which had fancy French names he didn't understand. But most importantly, _not _with his father and his mother.

Nevertheless, there he was, feeling awkward yet extremely frustrated at the same time. Those were the two emotions that circled around him the whole day; as soon as he entered the hotel room, he wanted nothing more but to get out. Aoi was already there by the time he arrived but she refused to make eye contact with him, but Natsume could tell by her body language that she was nervous, not to mention upset. But typically, as soon as Natsume settled in the hotel room's couch, his father went to the bedroom and locked the door behind him, informing the rest of the family he had an "important phone call" therefore they should go out as it would "take some time."

The word _phone _call however lit a spark in Natsume's head and he immediately thought of Mikan—"Mother, can I borrow your phone? I need to call—"

"Nonsense!" his mother had trilled back with a smile, "You haven't seen us in months! You can call whoever _after_ we've bid each other goodbye."

She had then suggested the go to Tokyo's Art Museum, so they did. Without Mr. Hyuuga. And throughout the whole morning, he kept on pestering his mother for her phone (in a polite manner) and finally, when she gave in at around noon, he quickly pressed Mikan's number (which he knew off by heart) into the phone but alas, before he could even _finish_, a museum warden tapped him on the shoulder and informed him mobile phones should be switched _off_.

_Bastard._

And there he was now. In this 'elite' (gag) restaurant with his parents and even five hours later, he had still not succeeded in calling Mikan.

Aoi could only watch all his desperate attempts to get his mother's phone earlier in bewilderment, and even though she didn't say anything, she was itching to know _who _Natsume was so keen to call—at one point, she even thought about lending _her _phone to him, but a second later, she felt dejected that Natsume hadn't even _bothered _to ask her. So she left it.

Not to mention, whenever she looked over at her brother, Mikan lingered in her mind. It made her feel sick to think that those two had probably kissed and shared sweet words . . . all behind her back.

_Liar._

But she was still feeling curious five hours later as she sat beside him in this 'elite' (gag) restaurant. Not to mention she was feeling suffocated; the tension between Natsume and their father was so evident and so intense, even their mothershowed signs of distress.

"So," Mrs. Hyuuga coughed as her eyes flickered between Natsume and Aoi, "what do you think you'll have?" she asked with a dim smile on her face.

Natsume didn't answer. His crimson eyes laid firmly on the menu in front of his laps; so Aoi replied, "Ur . . . the steak sounds yummy."

"And you, Natsume?"

There was a pregnant pause before Natsume answered, in his gruff voice, "I'm not very hungry."

"Come on now, Natsume. Your mother and I have come all the way to see you and your sister. Stop being so selfish."

_Selfish? Well, excuse me but first of all you carried your arse down here because of your _job_; secondly, you hardly saw us today; you were cooped in your hotel room until twenty minutes ago, when you called mum to say you were hungry and you wanted to have an early dinner when the _rest _of us weren't hungry . . . and _I'm _selfish?_

That's what Natsume wanted to say. Instead, he responded calmly to his father: "I'll have the steak too." His father gave a grunt of some sort in reply, but then Natsume added, "Do you mind if I go make a call?"

Mr. Hyuuga frowned, "Now?"

"Yes. It's . . . urgent." His crimson eyes turned to his mother, who was pathetically keeping her gaze firmly on her lap. "Please? Mother, I'll only use your phone for two minutes—"

"Why do you need to use _her _phone?" Mr. Hyuuga demanded, with his eyes suspiciously narrowed.

Aoi at this point could only _pray _to a God that she'd get through the day safely . . . honestly, she couldn't think of anything _worse _that a family dinner at the moment—she could hardly look at her brother in the eye and her mother seemed just as frightened as _she _was in the presence of her father.

"I don't have my phone on me." Natsume explained, as he firmly locked gaze with his father's blood red crimson eyes.

Mr. Hyuuga clucked his tongue before he blinked, only to state, "Well, I _do _mind if you go make a call. It's rude. And forgetting your phone is simply _irresponsible_. That's your mistake, not mine or your mother's."

Aoi saw Natsume clench his fists, and she couldn't help that familiar terrified emotion wash over her—the emotion she wished she'd never feel again was scratching back into her, and honestly, she just felt like crying.

History seemed to like repeating itself.

"Speaking of your _phone_, Natsume, where exactly _were _you yesterday evening? Your manager informed us that you hadn't contac—"

"I was out." Natsume interrupted, rather bluntly but honestly he couldn't help it. After all these years one would hope Mr. Hyuuga would be bored of making snide comments about his son . . . but alas, maybe not.

"All night?" Mr. Hyuuga questioned, and Natsume couldn't help feeling as if he was being interrogated for murder. "With _who?_"

At this point, Aoi picked up her glass to take a sip of her carbonated water, and just as she took her second sip, she heard her brother reply rather proudly, "My girlfriend." Aoi couldn't help but nearly _choke _on her drink.

_Girlfriend? _

Aoi wasn't shocked about the fact that Natsume had spent his evening with Mikan. It wasn't Mikan's first time, she was sure. Aoi was shocked, however, by the mere fact that Natsume had actually labelled Mikan his _girlfriend_. She knew for a fact Natsume had _never _called any of his ex's '_girlfriend'! _

And now, there he was, giving Mikan the title _girlfriend?_

It was like he had called Mikan his _wife,_ to Aoi. It was absurd, unheard of!

_Girlfriend?_

Mrs. Hyuuga didn't seem to notice Aoi was having a major internal shock at this point; instead her eyes had lightened up a bit as she finally placed her gaze on her son and cooed, "Oh really? Well tell us then—what is she like?" Mrs. Hyuuga placed her elbows on the table before she laced her fingers so she could rest her chin on it.

Mr. Hyuuga on this other hand did not seem to soften up to this news at all; on the contrary, he seemed even more suspicious than before as he inspected Natsume through the rims of his glasses.

There was a pause, and even Aoi looked at her brother, anticipating the answer.

But Natsume didn't want to tell his parents about Mikan at all. In fact, he wanted to keep her all to himself and he had hoped Mikan would never have to meet them in her life. The pause stretched out, as Natsume carefully thought about his girlfriend, and just as Mrs. Hyuuga was about to add something, Natsume finally answered: "She's the best thing that's ever happened to me."

His tone was assured. He sounded so genuine. He _looked _so sincere.

Aoi nearly fell off her chair, but she didn't. However, she couldn't help her jaw gaping open slightly; it was as if it had its mind of its own. And right now, that mind was screaming, "_What?_"

What had _happened _to her brother? What had Mikan _done _to him? . . . _Did he just say Mikan was the best thing that ever happened to him_? What the fu—

"EH MA GAWD!"

Natsume blinked; Mr. Hyuuga's frown deepened; Aoi jumped in her seat and Mrs. Hyuuga winced before they all looked behind them to see a blonde girl with cherry red lipsticks and shoes making her way towards their table. She was wearing a macro-mini skirt that _hardly _covered her junk and a see-through lace top; and on her neck, was a necklace with a silver _L _and moon on it.

"_Natsume!_" Luna Koizumi squealed, finally halting behind his chair, "I can't believe it's you! I _thought _I saw you coming in, but I wasn't sure, but I just _had _to double check and I'm _so _glad I did!" she smiled, showing her perfectly straight and perfectly white teeth before her eyes flitted across the table only to see Mr. Hyuuga, Mrs. Hyuuga and Aoi. Luna, however, failed to notice the aghast and horrified look that was plastered on Mr. Hyuuga's face. Instead, she cried, "_Oh! _You must be the fam! Hi, Hyuugas—I'm Luna Koizumi, his girlfriend!"

Mr. Hyuuga's eyes, nose, and corner of his mouth twitched in horror.

Mrs. Hyuuga took in a sharp breath, mildly horrified too.

Aoi's eyes widened—_what the actual fu—_

Before she could finish that profanity in her head, Aoi heard her father clear his throat (his prior scandalized look dismissed) and say in a dry voice, "Well, I can _certainly_ see what kind of girls my son is interested in." His tone was scornful, derisive and even taunting to an extent.

"Koizumi!" Natsume bit out, throwing the blonde girl a furious look (who did all but bat her eyes innocently at him) before he turned to look at his family to declare, "She's not my girlfriend."

Mrs. Hyuuga let out a small sigh of complete and utter relief.

"Oh _fine_, Natsume you meanie!" She pouted babyishly before she announced, "I'm Natsume's _ex_-girlfriend . . . but soon to be current girlfriend again!" with that little exclamation, Luna started to tinker and giggle with confident laughter and Mr. and Mrs. Hyuuga were even _more _appalled when they saw her top literally _falling _off, revealing her lacy hot pink bra. Aoi, at this point could only wonder how much longer her father would, _could _tolerate Luna Koizumi before he blew up. Natsume on the other hand, merely wished he had magically powers so he could _burn _this girl into smithereens at that very moment. "Ooopsies!" Luna suddenly gushed as she snapped open her phone. "My chauffeur's waiting for me outside!" She informed as she closed her phone shut, "I better dash!" with that final statement, she gave Natsume and Aoi's parents another bright smile before she turned back to Natsume and blew him a kiss.

The family, well, Mrs. and Mr. Hyuuga were silent as they watched the blonde strut out of the restaurant . . . and once her silhouette had vanished, Mr. Hyuuga immediately turned his son, fully out of his reverie at this point. "Is your _current _girlfriend like _that?_"

Not even a second later, Natsume defensively snarled back, "She's _nothing _like Koizumi." His crimson eyes were narrowed and burning into his father. How dare he even associate Mikan to Luna Koizumi—

"I'm _sure._" Mr. Hyuuga sarcastically replied, spitefully. "I'm _sure _she's a cheap prostitute like your ex—"

"Take that back _right _now." Natsume interrupted, his tone and expression equally fierce. His father, however, simply raised his eyebrows in a jeering manner and with that something _snapped _in Natsume—how _dare_ he—"I said _take that back right now, goddamit!" _Natsume loudly demanded, standing up from his seat, causing the chair to screech on the beautifully polished floor.

Many eyes now swivelled in the direction of the Hyuuga's table, however Natsume didn't notice at all; his eyes were firmly and fiercely rested on his father's.

"Honey, please sit down!" Mrs. Hyuuga softly begged, as she tugged at Natsume's sleeves. Her eyes were widened with fright; Aoi wore a similar expression too—however, she was more shocked than frightened . . . because Natsume seemed to genuinely care about Mikan and he was defending her name . . .

"Natsume, do _not _talk to me like that. I am your _father. _I deserve more respect than that."

After a tense pause, Natsume roughly sat back down, his knuckles white for clenching them too hard—anger was coursing through his veins and beating like a drum inside of him; how _dare _his father—

"Father, Mikan really isn't like that."

Even though Aoi's hand was shaking slightly under the table, her voice did not waver; it was firm and assured.

Mr. Hyuuga raised his eyebrow, "You know his girlfriend?"

Natsume on the other hand had raised his whole _head _to look at his little sister—he was so surprised she was aiding him . . . not to mention thankful.

"She's . . . my friend. And," Aoi swallowed, "she's _nothing _like Luna Koizumi." Aoi's eyes, which had been dodging backwards and forwards finally came to a halt as she locked gaze with her older brother's crimson eyes. "She's . . . Mikan's beautiful . . . but she doesn't know it. She's humble; modest; funny and so energetic—but in a way that doesn't tire you but simply excites you! She's contagious! . . . she . . . Mikan's great." She concluded, as she now looked up at her father, "She really is."

And _finally _Aoi figured out the message that lied in Natsume's eyes. _Thanks. _But what surprised her even more when she felt Natsume's warm hand actually touch her left hand under the table in an affectionate, brotherly way.

Mrs. Hyuuga wore a smile on her face.

And for a moment, Aoi felt glad she was there.

But alas, that really did last for a moment.

Mr. Hyuuga on the other hand did not seemed impressed. At all. In fact, he looked even _more _disgruntled at that Aoi's account of Natsume's girlfriend. "Well," his voice was cynical and cruel, "one must then question what a _great _girl like her is doing with an _irresponsible _boy like Natsume. Surely she deserves better?"

. . . Mikan deserves better?

_You're being childish and honestly just pathetic. Having a son like you is an__** embarrassment**__._

_I ruined the house. I nearly __**killed**__ my sister._

_You're a __**disgrace**__._

_My own __son __burnt __my __house down? Do you know how __**irresponsible **__that makes me sound?_

_You're a disgrace; you're the __**scum**__ of the earth!_

_Not only have you__** ruined**__our __lives but you have also ruined the life of your younger sister!_

_Her life is __destroyed __because of you. You have single-handedly __**terminated**__ her life._

_You __**disgusting**__ bastard, Natsume._

_You've __**destroyed**__ her, Natsume. You've destroyed her. Destroyed her with your own bare hands._

_I am a disgrace. I am irresponsible. I have no future. I put my friends in danger. I have ruined my families' lives. I nearly killed my sister. I destroyed her. I am a disgusting __**bastard**__._

_Let me __**freeze**__ to __**death**__, let me go __**numb**__, I don't care._

_He deserved to be __**hated**__. And if that meant becoming something he was not—somebody people will get accustomed to hate then so be it. If that meant he was going to have be a __**psychopath**__, then so be be it._

_I am a __**disgrace**__. I am __**irresponsible**__. I have __**no future**__. I put my __**friends in danger**__. I have__** ruined**__ my families' lives. I nearly __**killed**__ my sister. I __**destroyed**__ her. I am a disgusting __**bastard**__._

. . . . . . . . . . . _She's . . . Mikan's __**beautiful**__ . . . but she doesn't know it. She's __**humble**__; __**modest**__; __**funny**__ and so __**energetic**__—but in a way that doesn't tire you but simply excites you! She's __**contagious**__! . . . she . . . Mikan's __**great**__. She really is._

Takeshi Hyuuga was right.

Mikan Sakura did not deserve Natsume Hyuuga.

After all, **he deserved to be hated.**

**0**

Mikan woke up with a start. Her hazel eyes just flicked open, and she looked around her dimmed room, vaguely taking notice of her headache. Mikan couldn't help but shiver even if it was warm in her room; she stepped off her bed and made her way to the curtains and drew them back . . . the sun was already setting, dying the sky a deep red, and she could hear croaks of crows.

She hadn't forgotten for a second what had happened earlier that day. Even asleep, she could still feel and touch the memories and regrettably, waking up wasn't the solution, after all it wasn't a nightmare.

Her gaze traveled down to her clock—it was 6:12pm, and taking a deep breath, she walked towards her door. She paused before she gingerly opened it . . . only to see the lights were off in her dorm room.

_They must all still be out._

Her face winced in memory, but regardless she finally let out that bottled up breath and her face then was invaded by the emotion of concern.

_. . . I hope Natsume's okay._

**0**

Mikan tried calling Natsume's phone, but it had gone straight to his answer machine—feeling worried about him, and also feeling the desire to see him, Mikan decided to go to his room; she also ressolved she could wait in his room with Ruka, Koko and Kitsune-me if he wasn't back.

She was walking down the corridor, making her way to the elevators when a saccharine voice wafted its way into her ears . . .

". . . right? So I go in, just to, like, double check it wasn't him but it _was _Natsume!"

Mikan stopped in her tracks. _Natsume? . . . Luna Koiuzmi?_

"And, like, guess what? Natsume _invited _me to have lunch with him! How saa-weet?"

"Oh my God, Luna, I'm so jealous!"

Mikan took another deep breath, before she continued to make her way down, away from Luna Koizumi and her . . . lies.

_But are they really lies? _a paranoid voice rang in her head, but nevertheless, she desperately tried to dismiss it—"Come on, Mikan," she whispered to herself reassuringly, "it's _Luna_. Natsume would never have lunch with her!" Feeling a bit more confident, Mikan quickened her pace, and in the next thirty seconds, she was making her way down _Crimson Abyss' _corridor. Muffled voices of Ruka, Kitsune-me and Koko started to fill her ears, and with a smile, she was just about to knock on the door—

"_Mikan's a great girl . . . she really is . . . but she's made everything so difficult . . ."_

Mikan froze.

That was definitely Ruka's voice.

Difficult?

Mikan took a step back.

_Difficult?_

Was she a burden on them? On Natsume?

Mikan took another step back, now feelings of rejection and pain seeping into her body. She's made everything so difficult? She felt tears warm up her eyes—could this day get _any _worse?

The answer was not no.

**Haunted  
**_**Taylor Swift**_

_You and I walk a fragile line  
I have known it all this time  
But I never thought I'd live to see it break_

Mikan turned around from her spot, her right hand viciously wiping her forming tears when she suddenly shrieked in surprise; somebody was right in front of her—"N-Natsume!" she cried, as she saw Natsume Hyuuga standing before her. He was still wearing the same clothes, however, Mikan also noted there was something about him that was _very _different.

_It's getting dark, and it's all too quiet  
And I can't trust anything now  
And it's coming over you like it's all a big mistake_

"Natsume, are you oka—"

"Yeah, I'm fine, but please do me the favour and go." He interrupted unemotionally.

_Oh, I'm holding my breath  
Won't lose you again  
Something's made your eyes go cold_

It was his eyes that were very different. No longer did they hold any compassion; they were cold and unaffectionate. His voice was distant and far away; he stood darkly in front of, not in the same manner he had stood in front of her all those times together—

"Natsume—" Mikan desperately called, and her small hands even tried to reach out for him. But he was untouchable, like a star. Like a cold, lonely, star that hung alone in the night. Unfeelingly, he pushed her hands away, interrupting her before he said, "Sakura, just _go._"

He hadn't called her Sakura for a long time; and even if he did, it was in a mirthful, teasing manner . . . and this was too much to be a simple joke she could laugh off. She was hurt. _Really _hurt. Fresh tears were welling in Mikan's eyes as a result; she was dreading the worst—"Why? Natsume, what happ—"

"Why? You want to know _why?_" Natsume suddenly snarled, his voice harsh and uncaring, "Because we're _done_, Sakura. Finished. Gone. Terminated. _Dead. _Got it? We're done, Sakura."

With that, Natsume pushed past Mikan, leaving her alone in the corridor.

_Come on, come on, don't leave me like this  
I thought I had you figured out  
Something's gone terribly wrong  
You're all I wanted_

_Come on, come on, don't leave me like this  
I thought I had you figured out  
Can't breathe whenever you're gone  
Can't turn back now, I'm haunted_

All Mikan could do was to cry.

And she couldn't stop.

She didn't stop crying when people walked past her, giving her look between concern and curiosity.

She didn't stop crying when she entered the elevator.

She didn't stop crying when she helplessly _tripped _on the floor. All she could do was cry, while her heart screamed out, _Why?_

All Mikan could do was to cry.

_Stood there and watched you walk away  
From everything we had  
But I still mean every word I said to you_

_He would try to take away my pain  
And he just might make me smile  
But the whole time I'm wishing he was you instead_

_Oh, I'm holding my breath  
Won't see you again  
Something keeps me holding on to nothing_

_Come on, come on, don't leave me like this  
I thought I had you figured out  
Something's gone terribly wrong  
You're all I wanted_

_Come on, come on, don't leave me like this  
I thought I had you figured out  
Can't breathe whenever you're gone  
Can't turn back now, I'm haunted_

_I know, I know  
I just know  
You're not gone  
You can't be gone, no_

_Come on, come on, don't leave me like this  
I thought I had you figured out  
Something's gone terribly wrong  
Won't finish what you started_

_Come on, come on, don't leave me like this  
I thought I had you figured out  
Can't breathe whenever you're gone  
Can't go back, I'm haunted_

_You and I walk a fragile line  
I have known it all this time  
Never ever thought I'd see it break_

_Never thought I'd see it_

**0**

_**February 2009, Tokyo**_

Mikan placed her glass of water back on the coffee table, after her sip as the interview flashed her another one of his smiles. She politely smiled back, and her fingers pushed some strands of hair behind her ear as he continued, "So, carrying on, Mikan, many of your fans want to know if you write your own music?"

"I'll be honest with you, Shuuji," Mikan answered with a playful smile, "I do write my own lyrics. However, with my _music, _I definitely need help; be it from my manager or my best friend. But I do come up with the tunes to my songs myself."

"Fascinating." Shuuji, the interviewer continued, while the cameraman zoomed into Mikan's beautiful face as she gave a small, thankful smile. "And by best friend you mean Hotaru Imai?"

A fond expression crossed Mikan's face, "Yes, that's her. You know, the super gorgeous, super brilliant pianist . . ." she commented with humour in an offhanded manner, causing Shuuji to laugh, "Ahhh, but of course."

Shuuji then proceeded by asking, "What _inspires _your lyrics? I'm sure many of us are dying to know the answer."

"Well, I might disappoint you then. The answer isn't some revolutionary answer, no, it's quite simple." Shuuji nevertheless leaned unconsciously to Mikan, anticipating the answer, "It's my life that inspires me." She explained clearly and directly, "Nothing more, nothing less."

"Intriguing . . . well, Mikan, you have released two singles ever since the Academy's Music Competition—"

"As of yesterday, yes I have!"

"Yes, _No Parade_, which you released last year in 2008 in October and _Haunted, _which came out yesterday, which for the record is _beautiful!_ How do you feel?"

"I suppose I do feel excited in some extent," Mikan replied after a pause, "But at the same time I feel anxious because, well, my songs are like a diary to me. And to release it, and share it to the world . . . for me, it's like sharing a deep dark secret you'd rather just forget. And I'm anxious of the reaction, I suppose."

"Of course," Shuuji sympathized before he asked, "well your new single, _Haunted_—care to tell us something about it?"

"I think it speaks for itself, really."

"Anything else?"

"Well . . . I wrote it last year, around the same time I wrote _No Parade_, so in August. My manager however thought it be best if I gradually start releasing my song instead of compiling all of them in an album and releasing them all in one go—"

"Oh so there's _more _songs?" Shuuji asked, his eyes glistening with excitement.

"Oh yeah, loads more!" Mikan laughed, "But you won't be hearing them any time soon. _No Parade _and _Haunted _are my singles—the rest of the songs are going towards my album I'll be releasing, hopefully, by the end of this year. Problem is, I'm still writing new songs (I can't stop!) and haven't recorded many of them yet because I'm still so busy with school . . . but fingers crossed I'll release it this year!" Mikan concluded with a smile.

"Wow, I'm totally excited for you!" Shuuji commented, as he nudged Mikan's skinny arms.

"Mikan, you said you wrote _Haunted _around the same time you wrote _No Parade?_" Shuuji observed, and Mikan merely nodded to confirm this. "Well, does that mean _No Parade _and _Haunted _are written about the same guy?"

A ghost of a smile appeared on Mikan's face as she responded, "The one and only."

Shuuji already knew the answer to this, of course. He had researched a bit about Mikan Sakura on the internet before she had come to the studio today, and rumour has it, her songs were written about none other than _Natsume Hyuuga, _lead singer of _Crimson Abyss_, who she apparently used to date back last year. He wasn't sure if this was true, but nor did he have any intention to ask, as he _also _read on the internet Mikan Sakura refused to be cooperative to any interviewer that asked about Natsume Hyuuga. He didn't want to be fired like that other bloke from the other interviewing show—the bloke kept pestering Mikan Sakura about Natsume Hyuuga, but she remained laconic and refused to comment on it and as a result, he lost his job.

"Well," Shuuji sucked in some air, "reading the lyrics of both your songs, it must've been a tough breakup."

". . . The problem was, it _wasn't._" Shuuji's ears perked up immediately—was Mikan Sakura finally coming clean . . .? "I would have preferred a screaming breakup, where both parties literally can't stand each other any more, you know? Instead I got a silent breakup that, well, to me, came out of nowhere."

"Well," Shuuji softly said, "some do say silence is worse than noise, right?"

"Right, Shuuji."

"Well honey, I wouldn't get your pretty head thinking about the past!" Shuuji exclaimed with a sudden burst of excitement in his voice, "_Be-_cause, a bird told me that you and Sono Kaname are _close?_" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Mikan laughed. "No, we're just friends, Shuuji."

"Well I say, forget about the guy who broke your heart and move on!"

Mikan smiled at Shuuji's smiling, supportive face. That face, she had seen plastered on so many people . . . Hotaru, Aoi, Permy, Anna, Nonoko, Ryo . . . But didn't they get it? She was haunted.

_Can't turn back now, I'm haunted._

**0**

**End of Chapter Thirty One**

**0**


	36. The Start Of A New Era

**Disclaimer: No. I. Don't. Own. Alice. Gakuen.**

**My Happy Ending  
**_**by Little Miss Giggle**_

**0**

**Chapter Thirty Two: The Start of a New Era**

**0**

**"_Mikan's a great girl . . . she really is . . . but she's made everything so difficult . . ."_**

_Mikan froze._

_That was definitely Ruka's voice._

**0**

"Oi mate, don't change the channel!" Kitsune-me immediately barked at Koko as soon as his eyes caught sight of his friend reaching rather inconspicuously to the remote control on the coffee table in front of them.

Koko childishly responded by blowing a raspberry before he slumped back down on the couch in an annoyed manner, "Why do we have to watch _this?_"

And by _this_, Koko meant _One Tree Hill_.

"Hey, don't judge." Kitsune-me remarked, as a lazy smile made its way to his face. "Mikan introduced me to this and it's _amazing._"

"Yeah, _I know _you're obsessed." Koko sighed. "You've been watching it _all day_ . . . and c'mon! The football match is going to start soon!" he whined, but when Kitsune-me didn't reply to _that_, he took a deep breath.

This meant war.

"RUKA!" Koko suddenly yelled, causing Kitsune-me to jump in his seat with shock. "Ruka, come here! I need a _man _to back me up on my argument!" He continued, his voice still loud; and he couldn't help triumphantly grin when he saw Kitsune-me wince yet again.

". . . RUKA!" Koko called again. "RUUU—"

"For god's sake, I'm coming! Stop shouting!" a voice from the kitchen rather angrily interrupted, and Koko's smile widened to a great extent when he saw Ruka appear in the doorway, to join them into the living room, with a bowl of popcorn in his hands—"Ooooh, popcorn—"

"Hands off, Koko." Ruka uncharacteristically cut off, and Koko could only squeak in response (he didn't look too pleased). "So, what were you screaming your head for?" Ruka tersely asked as he fell back down on the couch.

Both Koko and Kitsune-me knew why Ruka was in a snappish mood—they didn't even have to discuss it; they just _knew_, just like they all knew Natsume was probably going to come home from 'dinner' with his parents in a foul mood. They knew that Ruka was acting like a PMSing bitch because he was worried about his best friend.

"I was _calling _you because I wanted you to help me! This sad, pathetic excuse of a man," he accusingly pointed his finger at Kitsune-me, whose eyes were _still _glued to the television screen, "would rather watch _One _Bloody _Tree Hill _than watch the football match!_ So_, let us _m__e__n _unite to fight the forces of evi—"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get it." Ruka said. ". . . Wait, _what _is he watching?"

"Some lame girlish T.V. series—"

"It's not girlish!" Kitsune-me quickly defended before Koko could comment on it any more. "It's incredible!"

Ruka stared blankly at Kitsune-me for three seconds before he asked, "Okay, when the hell did you start watching this?"

"Mikan was watching it on Natsume's laptop one weekend!" Kitsune-me chirped back in reply. "And asked me if I wanted to join so I—_shit!_ You guys made me miss what Lucas said to Brooke!" He boyishly threw a couch cushion at his friends in agitation and Ruka and Koko could only laugh out loud at that.

"Sakura, huh?" a smile now made its way to Ruka's originally cold face. "She's had such a big effect on Natsume, hasn't she?"

"I'd say!" Koko agreed, as he took a handful of popcorn from Ruka, "I mean . . ." he chewed and swallowed his mouthful before he continued: "have you _read _some of Natsume's lyrics recently? They are disgustinglycheesy; like, '_I'll be your crying shoulderrrr—_'"

"I suppose that's what she does to him." Ruka commented, interrupting Koko's off-key singing voice. Ruka smirked, "Sakura makes Natsume disgustingly cheesy."

"Happy, too!" Kitsune-me added from the sidelines.

"Yeah, I know!" Koko chuckled. "Natsume's all rainbow and smiles now. Oh and, listen to this: last week, I accidently split his coffee and he didn't even growl at me. Or glare! _And _he let him strum his guitar, which like, he never does, unless your name is Mikan Sakura."

"He never lets _you _play because your fingers are always smudged and gritty."

"Yeah well," Koko shrugged at Kitsune-me reply in an off-handed manner, "I bet you even if Mikan's hand was smothered in bird shit he'd still let her play his guitar if she asked."

"Well obviously," Ruka snorted in a humorous manner, "it's Sakura. She got him to read Harry Potter aloud to her while scratching her back!" Both Koko and Kitsune-me barked out in laughter at the memory. "She's got him wrapped around her little finger."

There was a peaceful silence between them, and all they could hear was the voices of Peyton from the television, and then, Koko suddenly asked, "You think Natsume's alright?"

There was another round of silence, but this time it was tenser. Nevertheless, Ruka diffused the tension but calmly answering, "I'm sure he'll be fine."

" . . . _I'll be your crying shoulderrr__~"_

All three boys laughed out loud when Koko officially disposed of the tension by his shrilly-singing voice. "That is why you're not the main vocalist, mate." Kitsune-me grinned, his attention no longer on the television.

Ruka contently sighed. "Mikan's a great girl . . . she really is . . ." he paused pensively as a smile started to slowly etch on his face, like butter melting on a warm slice of toast, "but she's made everything so difficult . . . because Natsume's so crazy about her."

Koko and Kitsune-me laughed again before they simultaneously agreed.

"It's really funny when you sit next to her when watching a movie, because Natsume either keeps a _close _eye on you or he squeezes himself between you and her!" Koko reminisced, causing Kitsune-me to cry, "Damn, that happened to me too!" he laughed before he added: "He's so effing possessive!"

"Yeah, but only with Mikan." Kitsune-me commented, as he lazily stretched his arms up. "He's like an animal."

Ruka laughed before he nodded in agreement to that statement, before he said, "Naah, he's been like that ever since he was a brat. Like, remember when he—" but before he could delve further into the memories of Natsume when he was a kid, the boys heard the door click open. There was breathless pause as they heard Natsume throwing the room keys on the ashtray by the door, but then Koko called, "Natsume! We're in here!"

The boys, though they never said it out loud, worried whether Natsume was going to be in an awful mood or not, and unfortunately when he turned the corner to the living room they all noted the hard look on his face; not to mention they were suddenly surrounded by a strong smell of cigarettes.

Natsume hadn't smoked in months.

"You okay?" Ruka carefully asked his best friend, as he slumped back down on the couch with them. But Ruka didn't even have to ask that question; his sky blue eyes could clearly see that everything was _not _okay. And the boys all assumed it had something to do with his family, well, _father. _So they were right to an extent, however, they couldn't have possibly guessed what had just happened outside their room a few seconds ago.

After all, they would have never guessed Natsume would have broken up with Mikan; not in a million years.

**0**

Hotaru opened the door to her dormroom cautiously but was surprised to see the warm light when she did so. She was even more surprised when she smelt . . . she inhaled . . . Anna's food.

Anna hadn't cooked in their dorm for months now—after everything that happened with Mikan, the other girls had congregated either in their own separate rooms or simply at Aoi's dorm. Hotaru nevertheless walked into the kitchen dining area, only to see Permy and the twins eating dinner.

"Hotaru!" Anna sweetly trilled. "Welcome back. There's food in the pot, if you want some."

Hotaru, who had been walking around aimlessly down the streets of Tokyo after what had happened earlier only realized just then how _hungry _she was. But she didn't dig in, like she normally would've. Instead, her violet eyes scanned the room before she asked, "Where's Mikan?"

"She wasn't here when we got back." Permy answered after a pause. She then gently put her chopsticks down before her emerald green eyes met with Hotaru's amethyst ones. "We've decided to—I mean _I've _decided to . . . well, grow up. Even though it may never be the same with Mikan, we've decided all together that this stupid _thing_," and by that she meant all the ignoring each other etc., "has to end. So we've invited Aoi tonight too. She should be here soon."

Hotaru blinked, surprised.

They were . . . _forgiving _Mikan?

"That's—" But before Hotaru could finish her sentence, the girls heard it. They all heard the door whooshing open and a wailing enter the room. All their eyes widened; the wailing sounded completely heartbreaking, and it was mixed with sniffs and shallow breathing. Call it a reflex action, (if you please) but as soon as Hotaru heard that, she knew it belonged to Mikan, and immediately she shot out of the living room to the hall—

"Mikan!" Hotaru pulled the crying girl who was slumped on the floors up with her two hands. "What's wrong? What happened?" Hotaru's heart was beating uncontrollably hard as she saw her best friend's state. Mikan's hazel eyes were red and inflamed and she shaking so much she could hardly stand. "_What happened?"_

"Bring her to the couch!" Permy shrieked. Her eyes were widened with horror, and throughout her body, a cold, cold yet nostalgic feeling was coursing through her veins. It was as if . . . history was repeating itself. _That was me a few months ago. _"Anna, get her some water!"

"O-Okay!"

Immediately Anna scampered off to the kitchen and clumsily fumbled around to retrieve a cup.

"And damn it Nonoko, get some _ice cream!_" Permy added, as she now helped Hotaru pull Mikan gently towards the couch in the living room.

"Roger that!" Nonoko saluted before she ran in the kitchen herself; nearly knocking her twin over. Nevertheless she successfully managed to grab the icecream from the freezer, and a spoon from the cutlery drawer before she returned to the living room, where everybody congregated.

Mikan was still violently shaking, but even so she still managed to take the cup from Anna and thank her meekly. After a few sips, she handed it to Hotaru before she started to cry again.

"Mikan." Hotaru calmly, yet firmly said. "What _happened?_"

Mikan cupped her own face with her hands. Nothing but sobs could be heard from her, for at least three minutes, until she finally hiccupped: "What . . ." he sharply took in a breath, "do you think happened?" Her voice was watery and trembling continuously as she weakly looked up at her best friend.

Without blinking, "He broke up with you."

Mikan only cried harder at that statement, which implicitly told the girl's Hotaru's guess was true. The way Hotaru said it, it was like she always knew. However, that was not true at all; Hotaru, even as she hugged her best friend comfortingly, couldn't believe it. She couldn't _believe _that Natsume I'm-So-Whipped Hyuuga broke up with Mikan.

Why? Why? Why? _Why? _But as she saw her best friend's state, that _why _mantra faded, instead, replaced with determination to make her best friend feel better.

The girls were all so engrossed in comforting Mikan however they failed to hear the front door opening again; they only realized Aoi was in their dorm when they heard a gasp from the doorway of the living room. Her raven black hair was neatly brushed and she was wearing a very conservative frock but uncharacteristically to her outfit her face was white, aghast. "What . . . happened?" she breathlessly asked, her crimson eyes widened. Nothing could describe the gravity of absolute _shock _she was encountering at that moment.

Silence ensued. Well, of course except for Mikan's crying. Hotaru kept her amethyst eyes firmly on her best friend whilst the other three girls exchanged looks. But then Nonoko coughed; "Hyu—I mean . . . your, um, brother broke up with her." Nonoko slowly informed, before she pressed her lips together.

Aoi blinked.

_"She's the best thing that's ever happened to me." "She's the best thing that's ever happened to me." "She's the best thing that's ever happened to me."_

Aoi blinked.

The voice of her brother saying those words repeated in Aoi's head.

_"She's the best thing that's ever happened to me."_

Aoi's eyes fluttered.

"N-no . . . that can't be—" but then she shut her mouth. Not only because the girls attention was no longer on her but because she realized, even with her confused state that this was not time to defend her brother. Nevertheless, it wasn't like she didn't think about what Nonoko just said; her heart was ticking like a bomb ferociously in her chest. The events of the her long day were replaying in her head and now that she thought about it she realized that Natsume had changed after her dad had said Mikan didn't deserve somebody like Natsume . . . could it be—

Her thoughts which were running at 1000mph in her head came to a screeching halt when she heard Mikan's quivering voice: "I-I . . . I'm so sorry." Mikan loudly sniffed before she shakily continued, "And Permy," her swollen hazel eyes managed to lock with Permy's green eyes, "you were right. About _everything._" She inhaled deeply. "I was so stupid—"

"Shh, it's okay." Permy soothingly shushed as she stoked Mikan's hair.

Nevertheless Mikan carried on, "I was so stupid. So," she let out a shaky breath, "_so _stupid. You w-were right; I _was _blind a-and I'm sorry I didn't b-believe y-you—" Mikan burst out crying again when Permy lent down to gather her friend in her arms to calm her down. Mikan however weakly wiggled out of Permy and turned to look at the rest of her friends and Aoi was horrified to see her state. "I-I'm sorry all of you." Mikan apologized as she bowed her head down in absolute shame. "I'm _so _sorry."

_"Mikan Sakura. Even though I don't know you well, I am giving you some advice. Don't ever enter a relationship with Natsume Hyuuga." _Memories were rapidly through Mikan's brain; she reminisced in a matter of seconds all the warnings she got and how she ignored them. She remembered all the lies that were said to her friends and all the empty promises . . . "_Mikan, promise me you won't make the same stupid mistakes as I did. No matter if he's popular, hot, or even if he has huge hands! . . . Just, please. Don't fall for him."_

She did exactly that. She broke that promise. She fell for him and he wasn't there anymore to catch her.

"Mikan, please look up." Anna said, with a tone that conveyed she was genuinely frightened. "We forgive you."

"I'm _so _sorry," Mikan repeated, as she now hugged Permy back tightly. "You were right. You were _so _right . . ." she let out a sob, "a-all he wanted was to get into my pants—"

"Is that why he broke up with you?" Hotaru immediately questioned, her eyes narrowed in disgust. "Because you said no?"

All the girls' heart started to beat when they saw Mikan slowly, shake her head. Both her hands were shaking as she cried, "I said yes. I did it with him last night for the first time." Anna and Nonoko cupped their mouths at the same time and Aoi couldn't help but close her eyes, understanding what that meant. Mikan resumed her crying before she wailed, "A-And he told me we were over."

The girls couldn't believe it. They silently watched Mikan sob with tears.

Suddenly, "That _bastard!_" Hotaru seethed, as she felt an overwhelming feeling of hatred course through her veins. Her questions were forgotten; no longer did she care _why _Natsume Hyuuga broke up with her, all Hotaru could think about now was how she was going to get revenge. Mikan was her _best friend_ and _no _guy gets away with doing that to her best friend. "How _dare _he."

"I'm so sorry, Mikan." Anna said, as tears started to fall down the planes of her own face.

"What a . . ." Instead of saying a profanity, Nonoko growled—no words to her could describe what she thought of Natsume Hyuuga. Womanizer, bastard, son-of-a-bitch, arsehole . . . they all sounded too nice.

Permy on the other hand was crying into Mikan's shoulder as Mikan cried on her's—she felt as if she had failed; she should have warned her friend more . . . but what overwhelmed her more was the fact that she _knew _what Mikan was going through. And it made her suffer. The wound from last year, which had finally closed, seemed to have been ripped open to Permy.

Aoi was disgusted by her brother's action, yes, but on the exterior she was completely emotionless: she felt numb. She was confused, shocked, horrified . . . after all, just a few hours ago Natsume was going on about how Mikan was the best thing that'd ever happened to her . . . and now?

What the hell had happened in the last few hours?

Some part of her wanted to go to his room and smash his head. But at the same time, some part of her also wanted to tell her friends what her brother had said a dinner . . . to save her brother's relationship with Mikan. To give him another chance of happiness.

But as she watched Mikan cry she knew his chance was over. And she knew which side she was on.

It was definitely not her brother's side.

_**A few hours later . . .**_

Her bed was only a single bed. Regardless, Hotaru was sleeping in her bed with her, and Mikan couldn't feel any safer; it didn't matter that she was cramped and it didn't matter that her left leg felt numb.

"You okay?" Hotaru gently whispered, as she saw her best friend shift in bed. Mikan's bed lamp was still on, so Hotaru could see Mikan nod back in reply, with a weak smile gracing her lips.

"Can you pass me my notebook please?" Mikan asked, as her hazel eyes indicated the bedside table. Hotaru nodded and fluidly passed her notebook to her. Mikan thanked her and before she could say anything, as if Hotaru read her mind, Hotaru also passed Mikan the biro on the bedside table.

"Thank you, Hotaru."

"You're welcome."

Mikan flicked open her notebook, but then she shut it close. She looked over to her best friend and softly said, "I'm sorry Hotaru. I'm sorry I shouted at you today."

Hotaru patted Mikan's arm gently before she replied, "It's okay."

They smiled each other before Mikan re-opened her notebook. Without even thinking, her pen touched the white paper and she started to write . . .

_Let's talk this over, it's not like we're dead_

**0**

"_Babe! Did you hear? Mikan Sakura and Natsume Hyuuga broke up!"_

"_I know! I can't, like, believe it! I mean, like, I'm glad he's like single now and all but, like, they were like so cute together!"_

"_I know. Their babies would've been so hot too."_

"_I suppose, like, all good things come to an end and all . . ."_

**0**

**The Fifth Round Information **_(posted on May 6th)_

**Date: **2nd June 2008  
**Time: **8:00pm onwards  
**Venue: **Tokyo Dome

ALL STUDENTS AND TEACHERS AUTOMATICALLY RECEIVE A TICKET TO THE LAST ROUND. HOWEVER IF STUDENTS/TEACHERS WOULD LIKE TO BUY TICKETS FOR FRIENDS/FAMILY, PLEASE TELL THEM TO ORDER ONLINE.

_Hurry! Tickets are going quick!_

**The five final contestants are obliged to write a song/piece and the song/piece which has the most impact on the crowd will be noted. **

_For further enquiries, please contact a member of staff, preferably one of the judges from the Music Competition._

**The Fifth Round Information **_(posted on May 8th)_

_All tickets are sold. _

_For further enquiries, please contact a member of staff, preferably one of the judges from the Music Competition._

**0**

**1st June**

**0**

It was Summer in Tokyo. The summer heat was near to its peak; everyday had been beautiful—the skies were blue, the sun was twinkling like a giant spotlight and everybody on the streets buzzed about the Summer holidays and licked their ice creams contently as they dreamed of the seas of Okinawa.

In the Alice Academy, however, thoughts of the Summer holidays were scarce, after all everybody was buzzing about the next day; the day of the Fifth Round! Tension was high, people were making banners and some were even betting with each other, WHO IS GOING TO WIN. "It'll be tough, I reckon," a boy whistled as he strolled down the corridor with his mate, "I mean I know we all thought it either be Mochu or Hyuuga's group but now . . . hard to tell, I say."

Everybody was speculating, and when Mikan entered the canteen with Anna on her left she was surprised when everybody in the canteen started to cheer her name and clap at her presence. "Good luck tomorrow, Mikan!" someone called to her, as Mikan started to nervously smile at them all after she got over her initial surprise.

"That was nice of them all!" Anna brightly commented as they continued to make their way to the lunch ques.

"Yeah it was." Mikan agreed as she followed Anna to the pasta line.

It was also nice for Mikan because for once they weren't all looking at her because of what happened in May but instead for a different reason.

After that night, Mikan didn't attend classes for two days and although some people wondered _why,_ it wasn't till after those two days that people knew the answer. Because after those two days they started to realize that Mikan Sakura and Natsume Hyuuga had broken up—no longer were they eating together or seen together, but the most obvious hint was Mikan's constant fatigued, heartbroken look. They also picked on Natsume's nostalgic aggressive attitude and his lack of smiles. People's opinions about the break-up were mixed; some, example Luna Koizumi, were _ecstatic _that their Natsume Hyuuga was on the market again. Others seemed a bit disappointed by the news. Others were somewhat curious. Others, example Andou Tsubasa, became worried. Others, however were completely and utterly flabbergasted . . . still to this day.

In the last category fell Ruka, Kitsune-me, Koko and Yuu.

After all, they were the main witnesses of the two's relationship; they saw the development of something beautiful . . . and the reason _why _it shocked them so much was also because it so bloody sudden and because it wasn't from Natsume Hyuuga they heard about the break-up.

Natsume Hyuuga hadn't said a word about it to them, and when they found out, and demanded him to explain he didn't say anything.

But they say actions speak louder than words.

Natsume was smoking more. He was constantly in his room. He was drinking more cans of beers. He was silent and moody 24/7.

Even though when people spoke of Mikan Sakura on June 1st it was about the Fifth Round, there were exceptions. And they, Ruka, Koko and Kitsune-me were the exceptions. Ruka watched from the corner of his eyes Mikan (who looked considerably skinnier) and her pink-haired friend leave the canteen and he sighed. "I still don't get it."

"You know," Koko said, after he swallowed his bite, "maybe we should _do _something. I mean, Natsume hasn't been out of our room for . . . _days _now."

"Exactly. That's what I don't get." Ruka pointed out, "He's obviously upset and still thinking about her so my question is why the _fuck _did he break up with her?"

"I'm telling you, I still think it has something to do with Papa Hyuuga." Kitsune-me darkly answered. "That prick always ruined things for him."

Ruka groaned in his hands. "If only we could _speak _to Mikan . . ."

"You know that Imai won't let us near her." Kitsune-me commented. "She's made it quite clear they want nothing to do with us anymore." They all winced in memory; the day they had found out about the break-up and got nothing from Natsume, the boys all went to go find Mikan, only to bump into a _very _hostile Hotaru before they got to her. To say they got threatened was an understatement.

But that didn't mean they'd give up. "Yeah but _I'm _saying we talk to one of them for Natsume's sake!" Koko said. "I mean, c'mon! He's torturing himself. And fine, if we can't talk to Mikan then maybe we could speak to Aoi?"

Kitsune-me sighed, "I _told _you, mate, I tried to speak to her that day when I saw her in the corridor but she avoided me like the plague." He sighed again.

None of them said it, but they were all thinking that Natsume was more messed up than they originally thought.

And it was all because of his father.

But the bottom line was this. Everybody in the Academy all had different opinions about the breakup but the similarity was that none of them really knew _why._

**0**

**June 2nd**

**0**

Ryo lazily watched from the taxi window flashes of Tokyo scenery whizz pass him as it was heading towards the famous Tokyo Dome. He could faintly hear his parents and Hotaru's parents talking beside him—they were talking, well more like _bragging _to the taxi driver about their daughters who were finalists to the Fifth Round of the renowned Alice Academy.

And to say the taxi driver was eating it all up was an understatement.

"Hey," came to the cool voice of Subaru Imai, Hotaru's older brother. Ryo turned around to look at his calm visage before he continued, "You alright? You seem distracted."

There was a three years difference between Subaru Imai and Ryo Sakura, however that didn't mean they didn't get along. Of course, they weren't like Mikan and Hotaru, nevertheless, they found each other's contrasting views and personalities engaging and always managed to have stimulating conversations. Today however, Subaru thought Ryo was acting rather bizarre. Rather unlike himself.3

Ryo coughed. "Yeah," he answered, "I guess I'm just tired from the journey . . . not to mention," he smirked, "_they_," clearly looking in the direction of their parents who were now taking photos with their cameras from inside the taxi, "are starting to irk me."

Subaru nodded sympathetically. "I couldn't agree more." He commented dryly. "They are really the epitome of a typical Japanese tourist."

Ryo laughed at that one.

But Subaru was right; Ryo _was_ feeling rather unlike himself—thoughts of his little sister were swarming his mind. He couldn't wait to see her, but at the same time, he was quite nervous—he had heard what happened from Hotaru and to say he was furious was an understatement. But little did he know that Hotaru had purposefully left out the part where Mikan lost her virginity to him and Natsume Hyuuga broke up with her afterwards . . . to be honest, if Ryo knew that, he seriously probably would go to Tokyo with the single intention to kill Natsume Hyuuga. No, Ryo only knew that Natsume had broken up with Mikan and left her broken hearted.

He was glad however to hear that Mikan had patched things up with her friends.

"Oh my God! I think I see Tokyo Dome!" Yuka Sakura started to squeal. "Honey, photo!" Akita Sakura immediately fumbled with his camera.

Ryo sighed. But when his eyes turned to the legendary Tokyo Dome he couldn't help feeling impressed—he even craned his neck to get a better view! It was still quite light (it was 7:35pm) but Tokyo Dome was nonetheless blazing with lights and he could make out a crowd outside the Dome. A smile started to form on his lips and his heart swelled with pride as he thought of his sister.

"Do you think we are late?" Mariko Imai, Hotaru's very beautiful mother, questioned.

"Mum the tickets said doors open at 6:00pm but the concert doesn't start till 8:00pm." Subaru reassured her, "Only the people standing would've come at six, but we've got seats so we're okay."

"I heard Hotaru managed to get us good seats too!" Yuka happily trilled.

Tadao Imai's smile widened, "My daughter's always been so considerate."

Both Subaru and Ryo very nearly snorted at that statement.

All of their excitement heightened as the taxi driver slowly but surely came to a stop. Although each parent insisted that _they'd _pay for the taxi ride, they managed to get out of the taxi in less than a minute, and the six of them were walking towards Tokyo Dome, craning their necks to look up at it.

"Honey, photo please!"

"No mum," Ryo said, "save your memory space for Mikan and Hotatu's performance. Don't waste your it for this—you can find this on Google!"

Yuka paused before she proudly smiled. "Ryo, you're so smart!"

Ryo sighed.

**0**

By 7:55pm, the Sakuras and the Imais were comfortably in their seat, each with a bottle of water and the boys with a box of popcorn. They were talking with one another but none of them failed to notice how _crowded _Tokyo Dome was—nearly ever row was full of people, there were hardly no gaps . . . only next to them were a few gaps left to be filled.

And right on cue, Ryo heard his name being called by some familiar girls. The families all looked around to see a striking girl with curly black hair; a beautiful girl with short pink hair; an elegant girl with navy blue hair and finally a bewitching girl with enchanting crimson eyes.

"Hey!" Ryo greeted them all, as they squeezed past the rows of people to finally get to their seats, which were beside the Sakuras and the Imais. He was surprised to see them all here next to them in the crowd, but before he asked why he realized Hotaru had probably booked their tickets all together.

Considerate, yes.

"It's so nice to see you again!" Sumire Shouda commented as she smiled brightly at him.

"Yeah you too—oh yeah," Ryo turned around to the Imais and his parents before he introduced them all to one another.

"Oh Mikan has told us so much about you all!" Yuka chirped as she waved at them all.

"Nice to meet you all!" the girls all chorused simultaneously before they took their seats, Permy next to Ryo. And almost immediately, Ryo inclined his head towards her and whispered, "How's Mikan?"

He didn't want his parents to hear; they didn't quite know about what happened to her.

Permy opened her mouth before she squirmed it shut. "Well," she said after a while, "you'll see—"

All of a sudden, the lights in the Dome dimmed and the crowd's reaction to that was immediate. Banners were lifted proudly in the air and the screaming and shouting began (the parents quickly joined in). To some extent, it was magical.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!" the voice of the Principal of the Alice Academy, Mr. Prince boomed and echoed in the Dome. "WELCOME TO THE FIFTH ROUND OF THE ALICE ACADEMY'S FIRST EVER MUSIC COMPETITION!"

Ryo didn't think it was possible but the noise level doubled. Maybe even trebled. But the point was, it was starting.

**0**

**End of Chapter Thirty Two**

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	37. The Final Round

**Disclaimer: **I don't own ANY of the songs, I don't own Alice Gakuen!

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**My Happy Ending**

_**by Little Miss Giggle**_

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**Chapter Thirty Three: The Final Round**

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Dedicated to _all_ my readers who have so patiently waited.  
**SeraphMia**: thanks for giving me that awesome idea.  
**Winterberrytrillium**: thanks for giving me (without fail) the longest, most enjoyable review!

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"I think I should get a haricut," Mikan idly remarked as she inspected herself in the mirror, "it's getting too long."

Hotaru who was currently brushing Mikan's espresso brown tresses paused, and inspected it before she shrugged, "I think it's nice. I mean it's in a good condition. You suit long hair."

The girls were currently backstage; the Final Round was to start in a matter of minutes and Mikan only had her hair to finish—on her, hugged a little black lace dress (designed and made by Aoi Hyuuga, thank you very much), her face was painted rather boldly compared to the usual delicate colours she had put on her face in previous rounds; on her lips, a deep crimson lipstick; on her eyes, a dark eyeshadow and on her eyelashes clung midnight black spidery mascara which emphasized and extenuated her eyelashes. Hotaru also wore black—her dress was made up of soft, willowy material and it was purchased at a boutique in Ginza, with the help of Permy who insisted it made her look like _Goddess Divine._

"I dunno." Mikan sighed. "I think I just need a change."

Hotaru's amethyst eyes gazed at Mikan's reflection; Mikan's eyes were downcast, she was unconsciously fiddling with the hem of her dress and Hotaru look the chance to look at her best friend properly. _You've already changed so much over this past month_. Mikan's cheekbones were more prominent, her legs looked much thinner, her elbows seemed pointier . . . Hotaru was still skinner than Mikan (due to her Superwoman metabolism) as before, so it wasn't like Mikan was all of a sudden skeletal or anything, but _anybody _could see the drastic physical changes of her. Her cheeks, which were once full and toned (toned due to her constant smiling) were gone and below her eyes, dark circles were carved. From smiles to a fatigued expression. The change was there, right in front of her.

"I think you're beautiful as you are now, Mikan." Hotaru abruptly said when Mikan's hazel eyes snapped up to meet her's. "You don't _need _to change."

Mikan didn't reply.

If she were indeed, 'beautiful', Hyuuga might have not broken up with her—she mused silently to herself. She was no longer sure about anything to do with Hyuuga; whether there was actually a time he genuinely liked her or whether their relationship was all just a game to him, she wasn't sure. It pained her to think that the reason was the latter one, however it pained her even _more _to think that there _may _have been a time he liked her . . . and that had now come to an end for a reason.

Was it something that she said?

Was it something that she did?

Was it because . . . she was no longer beautiful in his eyes after he had _had _her?

She desperately wanted to know what made her unbeautiful in his eyes. She desperately wanted to talk to him. But at the same time, with the same extent of desire, she desperately wanted to forgetabout him. Forget about the first time they met; forget about the elevator incident; forget about all their secret get-together's; forget about all their phone calls; forget about their first kiss—

A knock at her changing room interrupted her train of thoughts.

"I'll get it." Hotaru said before Mikan stood up.

Mikan's heart started to hammer just as it does now whenever she gets a text or hears her phone ring . . . she knew herself why her heart did that; she was hoping it was Hyuuga. She always encountered with disappointment however because it was never him.

And it wasn't him this time either.

Hotaru let Andou Tsubasa, whose face was graced with a boyish grin, into Mikan's changing room.

_Of course it's not him, you pathetic idiot, _Mikan cruelly thought to herself whilst feeling angry at herself for feeling that disappointment when she saw it wasn't him. _You're so disgusting and masochistic to even _think _about him._

After that quick thought however, Mikan actually processed _who _it was—Andou Tsubasa!—and felt a surge of surprise; she hadn't spoken to Tsubasa Andou in months. "Hey!" was his cheerful exclamation, as he waved at her.

She smiled. "Tsubasa! Long time no see!" Mikan stood up to give him a hug, "how are you? How is everyone?"

"If by everyone you mean the whole population of the world, I'm not sure, but if by everyone you mean the crowd, they are impatiently waiting _but_ if you mean Misaki and the rest of the gang by everyone, they're cool." Mikan tinkled with laughter, "I'm cool too—just thought I'd pop in to wish you both luck!" Tsubasa genuinely replied, but his happy façade was just concealing concern—Misaki was right.

Misaki had told him a few days ago about the significant changes of Mikan in the past few weeks she picked up on when she had a random conversation with her in the hallway, but Tsubasa had merely dismissed this, thinking it was just girls being overly perceptive again. But now, he comprehended Misaki's observations, and couldn't help his silent urge to go kick Natsume Hyuuga's arse right then. When Tsubasa Andou and his friends had heard about their breakup, the boys all sympathized with Mikan, commenting on how she was such a sweet girl and how much of a dickhead Natsume Hyuuga was, while the girls took a deeper approach and tried to figure out _what _had happened, because in Misaki's words, "Natsume and Mikan really seemed to love each other." and she explained that the night prior to their break-up, her friend, Hiro, had seen them laughing together down the corridor. "It just doesn't add up." She had said.

"Good luck to you too!" Mikan replied whist Hotaru gave a small nod in agreement. "I'm sure you'll do great."

"Thanks," he checked his watch, "and Christ, I better get going—I'm hardly ready!" Mikan waved at Tsubasa's retreating figure, and blinked when he suddenly whirled back and exclaimed, "God, I nearly forgot!"

"Everything alright?"

"Kaname told me you two met?"

Mikan blinked was initially confused—_Kaname? _Who's Kaname?—but then the face of a sunny boy with blonde hair sprung into mind and recognition switched up on her face. "Oh yes! Your best friend; yes I met Kaname!" _on the day he broke up with me . . ._

"Well he's already in the crowd with Misaki but he texted me a while back to wish you luck." Tsubasa grinned.

Mikan smiled, "That's sweet of him. I'm surprised he even remembered my name!"

With a nod, Tsubasa reached out to the door handle, wished the two luck one more time before he disappeared.

"That was a nice surprise!" Mikan commented, before she sat back down to look at her reflection. "And Hotaru, I think I should just let my hair down—"

"Who's Kaname?" Hotaru interrupted, as she resumed to brush Mikan's hair, taking in that Mikan wanted to keep her hair down for her performance. She agreed with her, it would look better down tonight.

"Oh this really nice guy I met a while back on the streets," Mikan answered, "I bumped into him. Literally, _bumped _into him."

But before Hotaru could ask any more questions, they heard: "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! WELCOME TO THE FIFTH ROUND OF THE ALICE ACADEMY'S FIRST EVER MUSIC COMPETITION!" to be followed by an immense sound of cheering people.

Hotaru and Mikan's eyes met.

It was starting.

**0**

"Thank you for coming here tonight, to Tokyo Dome!" Mr. Prince continued, his voice echoing backwards and forwards. "In thanks we promise to make this a night to remember!" The excited screaming response seemed to fuel Mr. Prince's enthusiasm more, the girls all commented with amusement as they watched him pace up and down the stage, waving like there was no tomorrow.

Several cameras were following Mr. Prince and between the stage there were two huge screens hung, where his face was projected on so people even in the back corners of Tokyo Dome could see what was going on stage clearly.

"Before the five last contestants perform for you, I have things to say. Firstly, I am Mr. Teddy Prince, the principle of the Alice Academy," (at this point the majority of the students of the Academy, even the girls, whooped loudly), "and one of the judges. The other judges are, Mr. Narumi," Mr. Narumi's happy face was projected on the screen, "Mr. Jinno," Mr. Jinno's stern face was projected on the screen, "Mr. Mouri," Mr. Mouri's disinterested face was projected on the screen, "and finally Mrs. Serina!" Mrs. Serina's beautiful face was the last to appear on screen, and Ryo couldn't help but think, _MILF._

"This is all so professional!" squealed Mrs. Sakura, as she excitedly nudged both her son and husband.

"Secondly, after all five contestants have performed, there will be a thirty minute break for us to discuss and talk, and _decide _who will win, not only the 660,000 Yen (ten thousand dollars; well it was back in 2008) but also a chance to send their music _outside _the Academy; into the harsh real world." The excitement was so palpable; Aoi felt as if she was watching a 3D movie—it was coming at you, but when you reached out, your fingertips touched nothing. It was so frustrating. "During that thirty minutes, many students of the Academy will be selling food at the exit doors, so please feel free to freshen up then. Furthermore, on stage we will have our very own orchestra performing for you, conducted by Mr. Jinno!

"Thirdly, before I bore you all I would like to introduce you to our first contestant," the crowd all gasped and started to clap and scream, "_Mochu_!"

Even Mikan and Hotaru who were backstage winced at the noise levels.

When the he appeared on stage, (the camera closely following) many banners flew up in the air and Mochu seemed to be somewhat magically diffusing all of this high tension into his bloodstream; he seemed as if he was gaining energy just by standing up on stage. Mochu smiled directly into the camera and Ryo secretly got quite excited by the mere fact that he owned the same Nike hightops Mochu were currently wearing (_Shit, I'm lame_) and he couldn't help but offhandedly calm down his mother in a semi-annoyed, semi-amused manner.

"I've seen that boy on _television_!" Mrs. Sakura kept on declaring, causing the Imai parents to gasp. "_Television? _Surely not!"

"Hey," Subaru nudged Ryo, "is that Mochu as in _Mochu_? The famous one?"

Ryo didn't know how but even with the screaming, Sumire, who was beside him seemed to have heard Subaru's question and answered instead of Ryo: "Oh yes. That's Mochu as in _Mochu._"

"I knew I should've brought my camera."

"Tokyo Dome! I haven't seen anything more beautiful in my life than you!" This was such a trite, clichéd statement that most musicians exclaimed but nobody seemed to care, let alone notice this. And just like that, the music started.

**On To The Next One – Jay Z**

_I got a million ways to get it  
Choose one (choose one)  
Hey, bring it back (bring it back)  
Now double your money and make a stack_

_I'm on to the next one  
On to the next one  
On to the next one  
On to the next one  
On to the next one  
On to the next one  
On to the next one_

Ryo very much wished he was in the crowd instead of in the seats—looking down at the people in the mushpit, they were thrashing about, jumping up and down all at the same time to the beat but the point was, despite the fact they were probably all hot and sweaty from the heat of being packed and the heat of summer, they all looked like they were having a _fucking _amazing time.

_Hold up, freeze_

Everybody froze. Mochu grinned.

_Somebody bring me back some money please,_

_Hov on that new shit n-ggas like how come  
N-ggas want my old sh-t, buy my old album  
N-ggas stuck on stupid, I gotta keep it moving  
N-ggas make the same sh-t, me I make the blueprint_

_Came in Range, hopped out the Lexus every year since I've bin on that next sh-t traded in the gold for the platinum rolex's  
Now a n-gga wrist match the status of my records_

_Used to rock a throwback, ballin on the corner  
Now I rock a teller suit looking like a owner  
No I'm not a Jonas brother I'm a grown up  
No I'm not a virgin I use my cahonas_

_I move forward the only direction  
cant be scared to fail Search and perfection  
Gotta keep it fresh even when we sexing  
but don't be mad at him when he's on to the next one_

_Freeze_

_F-ck a throwback jersey cos we on to the next one, and f-ck that autotune cos we oohhhhn, and n-ggas  
I got a million ways to get it  
Choose one (choose one)  
Hey, bring it back (bring it back)  
Now double your money and make a stack_

_I'm on to the next one  
On to the next one  
On to the next one  
On to the next one On to the next one  
On to the next one  
On to the next one_

Mochu was a true born rapper—the way the slammed his fists down at the strong beat; the way he managed to excite the crowd with only these few beats; the way he _managed _to rap all these lyrics without falling dead due to lack of breath; the way he moved; the way he danced . . .

_F-ck a throwback jersey cos we on to the next one, and f-ck that autotune cos we oohhhhn, and n-ggas don't be mad cos it's all about progression, loiterers should be arrested, I used to drink Kristal, muthaf-ckers racist, so I switched Gold Bottles on to that spade sh-t, you gon have another drink or you just gon babysit, on to the next one, somebody call da waitress, Baby i'm a boss, i dunno what they do, I don't get dropped, I dropped the label, World can't hold me, too much ambition, always knew it'd be like this when I was in the kitchen, n-ggas in the same spots, me I'm dodging rain drops, meaning i'm on vacay, chillin on a big yacht, yeah i go ton flip flops, white louie boat shoes, you should grow the f-ck up, come here let me coach you, Hold up,_

_I got a million ways to get it  
Choose one (choose one)  
Hey, bring it back (bring it back)  
Now double your money and make a stack_

_I'm on to the next one  
On to the next one  
On to the next one  
On to the next one  
On to the next one  
On to the next one  
On to the next one_

By this time, the girls didn't seem to _give _a crap about the fact that they were in seats; they stood up and started to jump up and down in their small space, and the people behind didn't complain, after all they had done the exact same thing a while back ago. They sung along to the chorus with Mochu, despite the fact they had only just _heard _the song.

_Uh, Big pimpin in the house now, bought the land, tore the muthaf-cking house down, bought the car, tore the muthaf-cking roof off, ride clean, i don't ever take the shoes off, bought the jeep, tore the muthaf-cking doors off, foot out dat b-tch about to sh-t like a skateboard, navigation on tryin to find my next thrill, feelin myself i don't even need an x pill, can't chill but my neck will, haters really gon be mad off my next deal, uh, i dont know hwy they really worry bout my pockets, meanwhile i had Oprah chillin in the projects, had her out in Bed Stuy chillin on the steps, drinking quarter waters gotta be the best, MJ at summerjam, Obama on the text, y'all should be afraid of what I'm gonna do next. Hold up,_

_I got a million ways to get it  
Choose one (choose one)  
Hey, bring it back (bring it back)  
Now double your money and make a stack_

_I'm on to the next one  
On to the next one  
On to the next one  
On to the next one  
On to the next one  
On to the next one _  
_On to the next one_

The crowd all held their breath with awe at the last second of Mochu's song as behind him there was a huge _bang!whizz! _before the stage was covered in darkness and pearly smoke. It was a brilliant finish to the song, and a brilliant start to the concert, evidently so when the crowd applauded Mochu loudly and clearly. "Thank you, Tokyo Dome!" rung Mochu's voice and Ryo was pretty certain he wasn't going to be able to forget about _that _for quite a long time.

Unlike the rounds in the Alice Academy, where after a contestant another one would quickly follow, it took a bit longer for the transition of contestant in Tokyo Dome, especially as there was a band (courtesy of the Alice Academy) playing the music live instead of having the music pre-recorded on a CD player, as it was in the old days of the Academy. (Unless of course your performance was to play an instrument).

"Who's next?" Mr. Sakura questioned. "Mikan or Hotaru perhaps?"

"If a piano is rolled on stage, then it may as well be Hotaru." Anna helpfully commented.

"I still can't get over the fact that my baby goes to _such _an incredible school! With such incredible people!"

Aoi smiled, "Believe it or not Mrs. Sakura, you're daughter is one of those incredible people."

Mrs. Sakura squealed _again_. "Just wait till I tell those neighbours!"

The girls tinkled with laughter; Subaru snorted; Mr. and Mrs. Imai and her husband agreed; Ryo rolled his eyes.

"Look at the crowd! They're still going." Nonoko pointed out, and indeed the crowd were still at it, jumpin' around, screamin' around . . . "Must be incredible to be down there right now, eh?"

This conversation continued for about another three minutes before from the still misty stage, the sound of a piano was heard—"Hotaru?—"

"Good evening Tokyo," the Imai's all sat back down as the voice they heard definitely belonged to a boy, not a girl, "I'm Andou Tsubasa." immediately the crowd's anticipated silence broke and a loud cheering commenced whilst the melodious chords of the piano continued. A silhouette of Tsubasa came clear and people started to excitedly buzz, "_He's _playing the piano!" and even Sumire said, "I didn't know he could play the piano!"

"You know him?"

"Yeah," Sumire replied, looking a Ryo, "we had dinner with him and his friends before; nice guy, good looking too!"

Ryo thought about asking another question, but then saw how all the girls' gaze were locked on this Andou Tsubasa and left it.

"This song," came Andou Tsubasa's cool voice, "is called _Come On_, I hope you enjoy it." The crowd cheered but quietly silenced as the lyrics poured out.

**Come On – Ben Jelen**

_And finally the silence  
Looking out, looking back across the sky  
Trying to find a meaning_

It was so different. So different to atmosphere Mochu presented to the crowd, however the crowd didn't take it badly. Banners were painted across the sky reading "ANDOU TO WIN"; Mochu was the King of Rap at school whilst Andou Tsubasa had a completely different but just as respectable reputation for his music. His inky blue eyes popped out on screen, and the parents (no denying they didn't enjoy Mochu's performance) seemed to appreciate this softer music to a greater extent.

_Knowing that I just left it all behind  
Still I smell a lingering softness  
Where did she go  
How did she go  
I wanna wanna know  
I wanna know that she'll be coming here to me_

On the edges of the stage, concealed by the beams stood Hotaru and Mikan beside each other; they had keenly been watching the competition from just about the beginning of Mochu's performance (they both agreed it was going to be hard to get the crowd to become _that _enthusiastic) and now they silently listened to Tsubasa Andou. Mikan's eyes weren't directed at her good-looking senior however, but instead at the _enormous _crowd and the glittering lights which looked like shooting stars from the cameras of the people.

_Come on  
Without you I'll never feel the love inside of me  
Come on, you know that we belong  
Come on, come on, come on, come on_

Anna sighed, "Misaki is so lucky to have a guy like Tsubasa."

_Thinking back before her  
I never knew the meaning of alone  
Still the flag is feeling foreign  
I live the day to escape into a phone  
Speaking of a world not real then  
Where did she go  
How did she go  
I wanna wanna know  
I wanna know that she'll be coming here to me_

_Come on  
Without you I'll never feel the love inside of me  
Come on, you know that we belong  
Come on, come on, come on, come on_

_Cause each of her kisses  
How my heart misses  
She's coming  
She's coming here to me  
I'm needing  
Desiring to kiss her now  
I'm living for her  
Breathing for her  
Singing for her fairytale_

_Come on  
Without you I'll never feel the love inside of me  
Come on, you know that we belong  
Come on, come on, come on, come on_

_Come on_

_Without you I'll never feel the love inside of me_

_Come on, come on, come on, come on_

_Come on . . ._

**0**

Mikan was scared. She was scared she wouldn't get a reaction from the crowd by her song, let _alone _a positive reaction just as Mochu and Tsubasa had received. She felt especially vulnerable now that she was standing alone, after having just kissed her best friend on the cheek good luck . . . Hotaru was gracefully making her way to the piano (she was purposefully placed after Tsubasa due to the convenience) and she hadn't even _sat down _yet but the crowd were going wild at her presence. Mikan smiled; she could have _sworn _she had heard the familiar voices of Mr. and Mrs. Imai but she wasn't certain.

She was going to be the last contestant of the night.

She was told this information at the beginning of the day and was initially surprised as she had expected it would be _Crimson Abyss _to finish it all off . . . she then felt scared because she had gone and assumed that she would perform sometime before _them _which would mean she could go run and take refuge in her changing room as soon as her performance was done.

But she was going to be the last to perform.

Meaning she'd be forced by the backstage crew to stay beside the stage during _their _performance so she could readily get on stage without any delay or fuss when it was her turn.

She was scared that people would boo.

But her friends went her issues with her a thousand times. "They _won't _boo at you," Sumire had firmly reassured her, "why _would _they, anyway?"

She was scared that people would laugh at her song.

"It's an honest powerful song, Mikan," Anna had firmly reassured her, "no-one can laugh at that."

She was scared she'd get stage-fright and leave flee the stage even before she could even utter a word.

"You won't," Nonoko had firmly reassured her, "once you're there, with thousands screaming your name, that thought will disappear like a faraway dream."

She was scared nobody would like her song.

"People will like your song," Aoi had firmly reassured her, "and if they don't, they're just deaf."

She was scared of facing Hyuuga after her performance.

"Don't worry," Hotaru had firmly reassured her, "I'll make sure that won't happen. I promise." And Hotaru never breaks her promise. "I'll be waiting right beside the stage so you can run to me when it's all done."

Mikan fulfilled _her_ promise to Hotaru by watching her performance; her introduction was brief ("This piece is called Moonlight. (_Yiruma_)", nevertheless the crowd warmly welcomed her) and so Hotaru-like, Mikan couldn't help feel close to tears as she saw her best friend play.

The two had met when they were so small, and Hotaru was the new girl in town. She captured all attention with her beauty and unusual persona and Mikan recalled she couldn't help feel jealous but then infatuated by the new girl. And now, here they were, _performing _in front of thousands of people they didn't know . . . she didn't know why but these thoughts just made her so damn sad. Maybe it was because she only just realized how much she had _changed _since she was a little girl—of course, this was inevitable, but Mikan missed her so much. Her being the little girl she was a few years back. The little small-town girl with a big dream . . .

She wished she could go back in time.

"Hey!"

Mikan abruptly jumped in fright before she turned around to see an ever-happy looking Tsubasa Andou. Mikan let out a sigh of relief, "You scared me!" she laughed before she congratulated him on his performance. He thanked her and then the two continued to watch Hotaru's flawless performance silently.

"I just realized how much I can't wait till all this is over." Mikan suddenly said, catching Tsubasa off-guard.

"Why so?"

"I can't wait till Summer." was Mikan's simple reply after a second of two of nothing. "Once this is over, after a few weeks of school it'll _all_ be over. I'll go back home." She sighed dreamily. "Until September."

Tsubasa laughed. "Sick of school?" Tsubasa questioned after his laughter ceased, in all seriousness.

Mikan shrugged, "You could say that." Her eyes were fixated on Hotaru during their brief conversation, and Tsubasa saw how Mikan's eyes sparkled when she started to clap for Hotaru, once her performance had ended. Without waving or saying good night, Hotaru left the stage, making the crowd feel as if they wanted _more _from the enchanting Hotaru Imai.

Hotaru was embraced by Mikan, and received a friendly pat on the shoulder from Tsubasa as soon as she was concealed away from the audience. "That was brilliant, Hotaru." Mikan truthfully remarked. "I dunno why but it nearly made me cry."

Hotaru snorted, but in a kind manner (if that was at all possible), "You're such a cry baby. But I messed up at one point, and knowing Jinno who has ears like a hawk he'd knock off some points off my performance because of that."

"No way," Tsubasa said, "Jinno wants _you _to win; there's no way he'd knock points off you!"

Next performing were _Crimson Abyss_, all three of them knew. The transition between Hotaru and _Crimson Abyss _was far greater than the change between Tsubasa and Hotaru and Mikan couldn't help the feeling of absolute nausea bubble as backstage crew quickly set up the stage for _Crimson Abyss_. She was talking to her friends with a smile but underneath, her heart was pounding, she felt sick—she hadn't seen Hyuuga in such a long time and she knew in a matter of minutes or seconds, she'd see him and his friends perform. Hopefully though, it'd be the last time she would have to see him. Sumire had pointed out a few weeks ago that Natsume and his crew were eighteen, meaning that they'd be graduating in July. "He'll be gone from the Academy! Meaning you'll never have to see him again! I mean, face to face," she had said, "'cos you know, they'll probably be on magazine covers but we can just vandalise 'em with Sharpies!"

That's right. Tonight will be the last night she'd ever see him.

Hotaru could easily see Mikan's growing anxiety but she didn't say or hint anything. Nevertheless she gripped tightly onto her hand when Mr. Prince announced, "And _now _on stage, please welcome _Crimson Abyss_!" Both Tsubasa and Hotaru heard Mikan take in a sharp breath at that, and they both noted how she screwed her eyes shut for a second or two.

The crowd was wilder than wilder however. They were bloody _animalistic_—chanting the band's name, howling, whooping, yapping . . . and that all intensified when the four members of Crimson Abyss appeared on stage.

The people of the Academy hadn't actually seen Natsume in what felt like ages (as he was locking himself in his room) however this made them scream even more—they welcomed him back, told him they misses his presence.

Natsume had a look which told the world he'd rather be anywhere else but here; his hair seemed longer and messier; his eyes looked as if they hadn't had any sleep in a long, long time . . . Koko and Kitsune-me, similar to Mochu, seemed to be lapping up all of the love from the crowd whilst Ruka smiled humbly as he made his way to the prepared drum-set.

"There's the bastard." Ryo growled, as his eyes considerably attenuated. "He's as disgusting as I remember."

"Look at them, acting as if they _own _the place." Sumire cruelly sneered.

"Actually Hyuuga looks like he wants to disappear." Anna pointed out while Nonoko agreed with her.

Aoi said nothing and just watched her brother with her identical crimson eyes. Just like Mikan, she thought, her brother had changed so much—he was still ruggedly handsome but there was something broken about him. He looked exhausted and his skin had an unhealthy tinge to it. _Should I say something about what my dad said to Natsume to Mikan?_ But whenever she'd ask herself this question, the sobbing memory of Mikan resurfaced and she thought strongly against it. _He has no excuses_, she'd remind herself.

Meanwhile Mikan was breathing deeply as she looked at the boy she loved so much. "I-I . . ." she turned her teary hazel eyes away from him, to Hotaru. "I can't watch." Whilst everybody was joyfully, excitedly screaming Mikan was trying hard to keep her tears in.

Tsubasa worriedly looked at Hotaru, as he was unsure what to do but Hotaru simply just nodded, put an arm around her and steered her back away, away from the sides of the stage. "Can you tell the crew she's gone to the toilet?" Hotaru asked Tsubasa.

"Of course."

"Much appreciated, Tsubasa."

"Good evening, we're _Crimson Abyss_," came the baritone voice of Natsume Hyuuga from the stage. Mikan put her hands to her ears—_go away, go away, go away, go away, go away . . ._ she didn't notice but Hotaru and the girls who were in the crowd immediately noticed the change of voice in Natsume as soon as he spoke—his voice was much huskier—it was cracked and croaky; it sounded as if he had been inhaling a large amount of smoke. "This song is called _All the Right Moves._"

An eerie chord played by Koko echoed in Tokyo Dome. The drums came. A beautiful voice came, a voice from Natsume Hyuuga.

_Go away, go away, go away, GO AWAY, GO AWAY._

**All the Right Moves – One Republic**

_All the right friends in all the right places  
So yeah, we're going down  
They've got  
All the right moves in all the right faces  
So yeah, we're going down_

Fans of _Crimson Abyss_, people who weren't fans of _Crimson Abyss_, the judges—all of them noted the different tone and style of performance.

_Let's paint the picture  
Of the perfect place  
They've got it better then when anyone's told ya  
They'll be the King of Hearts, and you're the Queen of Spades  
Then we'll fight for you like we were your soldiers_

Natsume eyes were shut most of the time as he sung, as if he were imaging he was somewhere else while he sung this song. However he included hand movements—he painted a picture with his hands; his fisted a fist when he said 'soldiers'

_I know we got it good, but they got it made,  
And their grass is getting greener each day,  
I know things are looking up, but soon they'll take us down,_

Natsume opened his eyes, and seemed to wince at the bright light the audience emitted. He pointed up at the eternal sky before he pointed down at hell at the right time.

_Before anybody's knowing our name_

_They've got..._

_All the right friends in all the right places  
So yeah, we're going down  
They've got  
All the right moves in all the right faces  
So yeah, we're going down_

_They say  
Everybody knows, everybody knows where we're going  
Yeah, we're going down  
They say  
Everybody knows, everybody knows where we're going  
Yeah, we're going down_

Ruka was pelting on the drums. Koko played the techno piano. Kitsune-me strummed his guitar. Natsume held tightly onto the mic, as if he was afraid to ever let go and he walked the length of the stage whilst he sang the chorus, looking for once at the audience. And well, the audience loved it. They loved the unusual special attention they were receiving from Natsume Hyuuga.

_Do you think I'm special?  
Do you think I'm nice?_

He thrusted his fist to his heart at those two questions.

_Am I bright enough to shine in your spaces?  
Between the noise you hear, and the sounds you like  
Are we just sinking the ocean of faces?_

He motioned down at the faces of standing audience.

_It can't be possible... the rain can fall  
Only when it's over our heads.  
The sun is shining everyday, but it's far away._

_Over the world that's dead._

Sumire didn't know why, but hearing this song made her want to cry. Anna and Nonoko had their eyes firmly rested on Natsume Hyuuga. Aoi didn't know why either but she wanted to cry too. Vaguely in their minds, they all wondered how Mikan was taking all of this . . . little did they know she was currently in her changing room, clutching her head (trying to drown the noise out) whilst Hotaru softly stroked her back.

_They've got, they've got..._

_All the right friends in all the right places  
So yeah, we're going down_

_They've got  
All the right moves in all the right faces  
So yeah, we're going down_

_All the right friends in all the right places  
So yeah, we're going down_

_They've got  
All the right moves in all the right faces  
So yeah, we're going down_

_They say  
Everybody knows, everybody knows where we're going  
Yeah, we're going down  
They say  
Everybody knows, everybody knows where we're going  
Yeah, we're going down_

What was this song trying to say?

_It don't matter what you see  
I know I could never be  
Someone that'll look like you._

_It don't matter what you say  
I know I could never fake  
Someone that could sound like you._

That was such an honest sounding verse; throughout it, the audience were still and quiet, watching as Natsume gazed off in the far distance, at the spotlight which shone so brightly down at him. The white light illuminated his already-white skin; it emphasized his ebony black hair as well as his blood-red irises.

"He's beautiful." Mrs. Sakura softly commented. "I've never seen such a beautiful boy."

Ryo who had vaguely heard that snorted, "Thanks, mum."

The camera zoomed in on Natsume's face, and in HD his face was hung on the two large screens, and the audience all noted the broken look that was painted on Natsume Hyuuga's face.

_All the right friends in all the right places  
So yeah, we're going down _(Ruka, Koko and Kitsune-me echo)_  
They've got  
All the right moves in all the right faces  
So yeah, we're going down _(Ruka, Koko and Kitsune-me echo)

_Woo! _(Koko)

_They say  
Everybody knows, everybody knows where we're going  
Yeah, we're going down  
They say  
Everybody knows, everybody knows where we're going  
Yeah, we're going down_

They're 'going down'? Who were 'going down'? Who was 'we'?

_Yeah we're going down (all)  
Yeah we're going down (all)_

_All the right moves, hey.  
Yeah we're going down (Ruka, Koko and Kitsune-me echo)  
All the right moves, hey.  
Yeah we're going down (Ruka, Koko and Kitsune-me echo)_

He sang the last two repeats of the chorus with such intensity, such passion—he clutched his shirt; he put the microphone close to his lips; his screwed his eyes shut here and there . . . and for the first time in years, Aoi felt as if she had seen the Natsume Hyuuga she had remembered; the vulnerable fifteen year old, who confused about his dreams and unsure about his evident talent.

_All the right moves, hey.  
Yeah we're going down (Ruka, Koko and Kitsune-me echo)  
All the right moves, hey.  
Yeah we're going down (Ruka, Koko and Kitsune-me echo)_

The crowd ever-so loudly applauded at _Crimson Abyss_—Koko punched his fist up energetically in the air and was shouting something that sounded quite like, "LONG LIVE!"; Kitsune-me bowed rather mockingly, with a grin on his face; Ruka all but smiled humbly again; Natsume curtly nodded in thanks. "Goodnight." was his last words in the microphone, and the applaud and shouting followed the band like a shadow, even when they were gone from the stage.

"A spectacular performance from _Crimson Abyss_, nothing new!" the people besides Aoi commented to one another. It wasn't just them though; the whole audience were buzzing and murmuring about their performance, including the Imais and the Sakuras. "I'm telling you _I _have seen them on television before!" Mr. Sakura was now adamantly declaring. "I would've have remembered a face like _that_ any day!"

"You probably have, Mr. Sakura." came the voice of Aoi Hyuuga. "They're quite famous, like Mochu, outside the Academy." The parents and Subaru, who didn't know quite yet that this mesmerizing girl was related to the handsome boy they had just seen, all furrowed their eyebrows in curiosity.

"I'm sorry to ask, but are you related to that young chap?" Mr. Imai questioned, unable to hold in his curiosity. "You have the same eyes."

"I'm a Hyuuga too." Aoi weakly smiled.

"We'll have to get an autograph! And a picture!" Mrs. Sakura exclaimed, brandishing her camera like a baboon with a stick.

The girls and Ryo all exchanged looks; the parents and Subaru weren't told about Mikan and Natsume's relationship. Mikan had insisted to Ryo that she'd be the one to tell her parents what had happened to her in the Academy over the summer when she returned home. "Please don't tell them," Mikan had begged on the phone to Ryo, "_I'll_ tell them." Ryo was sure now his mother and father would both be downright flabbergasted in the summer when they discovered the 'beautiful' boy was actually Mikan's ex-boyfriend. No doubt about that.

"Guys!" Anna suddenly gasped. "Mikan's next!"

Mrs. Sakura nearly dropped her camera in excitement.

However, Mikan was still in her changing room with Hotaru. "Mikan," Hotaru gently urged her best friend. The two had both noticed how the faint voices of _Crimson Abyss _had ended a few seconds ago. "C'mon. Let's go. It's your turn to perform."

"Hotaru," Mikan quietly said, as she stood up, "do you remember the First Round?"

"Yes."

"Seems so insignificant now, doesn't it?" With that, Mikan let out a deep breath, looked at her best friend and announced. "I'm okay now. I'm ready. Let's go."

**0**

"Where is she?" Mr. Sakura asked for the sixth time.

"Oh no. What if she's fallen asleep!" Mrs. Sakura gasped, aghast.

Sumire laughed, "Don't worry, Hotaru won't let that happen. We're sure she'll be on soon!" Nevertheless, she exchanged looks with the others a bit worried for their friend. _Crimson Abyss _had left the stage three and a half minutes ago, and from the looks of things Mikan's 'stage' was set-up. All of a sudden the lights on stage flashed, grabbing everyone's attention and immediately causing a chain reaction for the audience to appreciatively applaud and cheer. It was Mr. and Mrs. Sakura cue to get their bright yellow banner for Mikan out (to Ryo's absolute horror and embarrassment). The girls screamed along with the crowd, and Ryo then suddenly felt his heart swell—these people were cheering for _his _little sister. He was so proud of Mikan. And when he saw her make her way to the stage, several feelings coursed through his veins.

Firstly, he was shocked at her appearance.

Secondly, he felt really over-protective over her.

Thirdly, he was riveted and astonished by the fact that Mikan had managed to induce such a reaction from the crowd just by her appearance on stage.

"THAT'S MY BABY!"

"Tokyo Dome," Mikan sweet, sweet voice came, "it's lovely to see each and everyone of you tonight. Before I start, I'd just like to thank my friends and say hello to the family. I know you're there somewhere." The cameras captured her smiles, and in the midst of the screaming crowds she could have sworn she had heard the voice of her mother.

"She's grown so much." Mr. Sakura tearfully remarked as he watched his beloved daughter's face carefully.

"The song I'm going to sing tonight is called _My Happy Ending._" She smiled a hollow smile."It's completely ironic, I warn you." And with that, the band started to play, and Mikan started to sing, without missing a second of a beat.

**My Happy Ending – Avril Lavigne**

_So much for my happy ending  
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh..._

Mikan had her eyelids gently fluttered closed, and then, they opened.

_Let's talk this over  
It's not like we're dead  
Was it something I did?_

She almost painfully pointed at herself.

_Was it something you said?_

She pointed randomly with her left curled up index finger.

_Don't leave me hanging  
In a city so dead_

_"I think Tokyo is a dead city."_

_Natsume's eyebrows raised higher and Mikan sighed and explained, "Tokyo. It's hardly got any green trees, it's always busy with cars, and there's hardly any nature! Hyuuga, if you ever go to Nagoya, or the county side, then you will understand what I'm saying. You haven't really lived until you've actually seen the real life. Computers and technology isn't the real life. Simply, in my opinion, Tokyo is a dead city."_

_Natsume didn't answer for a while, and lazily played with his chopsticks, as he kept his gaze on Mikan. Then he bluntly said, "You sound so old."_

_Held up so high_

Memories were flooding her mind; it was as if she was suddenly a riverside and all these memories were overflowing from her bank . . . she gently, like a ballerina, lifted her arm and pressing her thumb and middle finger together she drew out a thread.

_On such a breakable thread  
You were all the things I thought I knew  
And I thought we could be_

_Mikan lightly laughed, before she let out a small sigh. She lay her head down, and it was only when she heard a low yet steady beat did she realize she was laying on Natsume's chest—the beat being his heart beat. When she thought about it, she did wonder why the elevator walls had suddenly gotten so warm, for a fraction of a second._

_"Oh, sorry Natsume!" Mikan exclaimed as she pulled her head up, "I didn't—"_

_"It's fine.__"_

_You were everything, everything that I wanted_

_Natsume gave a throaty laugh before he flicked Mikan on her forehead again, which she responded to with a similar reaction but adding a warning, "Flick me one more time buddy, and I swear I'll bite you!"_

_Natsume raised his eyebrows once more and replied, "Kinky."_

_We were meant to be, supposed to be, but we lost it_

_Natsume stood up, causing her to stand up as well, as their hands were still entwined._

_And all of the memories, so close to me, just fade away_

_"Come on—this way," Natsume declared, as he turned back his head slightly, grabbed a hold of Mikan's hand, and lead the direction to the famous Ueno Kouen. Mikan couldn't help smile, and laugh as together they ran hand in hand towards the entrance of the park._

_"Natsume—" before she could finish her sentence, Natsume kissed her._

_Mikan suddenly heard quick steps shuffle towards her and gingerly raised her head, which only resulted in her eyes glazing with tears again. Natsume had come for her, and by the way he was panting she was almost certain he had run his way here._

_Natsume raised an eyebrow at her and then he proceeded by sitting down on his chair but then clutching onto Mikan's waist only to pull her down on his lap, which caused her to squeak—but then she blinked and looked at him and laughed._

_Mikan felt a soft kiss on her forehead as she yawned, and before she knew it she was tumbling down a dreamless swirl of sleep, with Natsume Hyuuga still caressing her hair._

Mikan looked almost violent when she clutched her dark brown hair with her left hand before slammed it down beside her, really emphasizing she wanted them (her memories) to go away.

_All this time you were pretending_

_"Why? You want to know __why?__" Natsume suddenly snarled, his voice harsh and uncaring._

_So much for my happy ending_

_Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh..._

For the kids who went to the Alice Academy they realized then and there that this song was about Natsume Hyuuga, and they all listened carefully to her lyrics, as they all knew this was the only story they were going to get out of their sudden break-up. The crowd cheered however at the end of the chorus, but Mikan was oblivious to it all. Because to Mikan, it felt as if it was just her and her haunting memories in the world—nobody else. Just them.

_You've got your dumb friends  
I know what they say  
They tell you I'm difficult  
But so are they_

_Muffled voices of Ruka, Kitsune-me and Koko started to fill her ears, and with a smile, she was just about to knock on the door—_

_"__Mikan's a great girl . . . she really is . . . but she's made everything so difficult . . ."_

_Mikan froze._

_That was definitely Ruka's voice._

The three boys, Ruka, Koko and Kitsune-me were indeed watching Mikan's performance from the stage sidelines with heavy hearts (the initial high from their performance a few minutes ago had died already) but when Mikan said that, they all looked incredulously at one another. "What—"

Natsume immediately shushed Koko before he could utter another syllable. Natsume Hyuuga was watching Mikan Sakura perform, too. His crimson eyes were fixated on her. They did not leave her. He had an expressionless face plastered on and only he knew how he was feeling at that very moment, watching his ex-girlfriend perform a song that was so blatantly about him.

His knuckles were white.

_But they don't know me_

She violently pointed at herself with three fingers before she thrusted those fingers out at the crowd—

_Do they even know you?  
All the things you hide from me_

_"Natsume. What's wrong?" Mikan cut him off, genuinely frightened now. "Please tell me, you're scaring me—"_

_"It's nothing."_

_All the shit that you do_

"Did Mikan just swear?" Mrs. Sakura blurted out.

_You were all the things I thought I knew  
And I thought we could be_

_Natsume smirked before he replied, "I'll get her the biggest diamond in the world."_

_You were everything, everything that I wanted  
We were meant to be, supposed to be, but we lost it  
And all of the memories, so close to me, just fade away_

_"Mikan, I'm here for you—if you want to cry, then go ahead and cry. You can drown me in your tears for all I care." He exclaimed, and he couldn't help smile slightly when he heard Mikan let out a watery chuckle._

_Mikan pulled her out of Natsume's torso and looked up into his crimson orbs, "You'll be here for me?"_

_Natsume nodded._

_"Forever and always?"_

_Natsume rolled his eyes in amusement before he promised, "Forever and always."_

_All this time you were pretending  
So much for my happy ending  
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh..._

_It's nice to know that you were there  
Thanks for acting like you cared_

_"Shhh . . ." Natsume soothed her as he tightened his hold onto Mikan's petite body._

_And making me feel like I was the only one_

_She was walking down the corridor, making her way to the elevators when a saccharine voice wafted its way into her ears . . ._

_". . . right? So I go in, just to, like, double check it wasn't him but it __was __Natsume!"_

_Mikan stopped in her tracks. __Natsume? . . . Luna Koiuzmi?_

_"And, like, guess what? Natsume __invited __me to have lunch with him! How saa-weet?"_

Even Natsume couldn't help but betray his blank façade, nor could he stop Koko demanding, "You _cheated _on her?"

Immediately he denied it. "Of course not!" his spat his answer brutally out, casting an ominous glare in Koko's direction. Koko, who felt an urge to hit Natsume for the first time in his life, let his sudden anger pass and continued to watch Mikan's performance.

_It's nice to know we had it all_

_"You're a star, Mikan."_

_She responded by kissing him in a way she had never kissed him before._

_That night, Mikan shone brightly than she ever did in her life. She gave all that she could offer to Natsume; her passion, her desire, her love and her innocence. On the starry night of May, Mikan gave herself away to the boy she believed she loved._

_Thanks for watching as I fall  
And letting me know we were done_

_"Because we're __done__, Sakura. Finished. Gone. Terminated. __Dead. __Got it? We're __**done**__, Sakura."_

Mikan didn't realize it herself, but tears were dancing in her eyes at that point—in front of her, she could not see the crowd, instead all she could see was Natsume (on repeat) telling her they were over. Telling her that they were done. Finished. Gone. Terminated. Dead.

_You were everything, everything that I wanted_

The world seemed to stop spinning for Mikan. She could hear her heart beat. She could now feel the tears spilling from her eyes.

They were over.

Her sadness though, turned to silent frustration and anger, that was all directed at that crimson eyed boy, who was her first love.

_We were meant to be, supposed to be, but we lost it_

Her bottled up emotions towards him all burst out; the tears freely fell, she clutched her microphone tighter than ever; she shook her head making her hair fly in all directions . . .

_And all of the memories, so close to me, just fade away_

She seemed to be praying to _God_, praying desperately for all of the memories that circulated her everyday would just go away.

_All this time you were pretending  
So much for my happy ending_

_You were everything, everything that I wanted  
We were meant to be, supposed to be, but we lost it  
And all of the memories, so close to me, just fade away_

_Mikan laughed only to happily say, "Well, as long as I have GPS, music, the bear you got me and you . . . I'm cool."_

_"I'm cool too."_

_Natsume didn't have to tell her what he meant by that—she already knew; as long as they had each other they were okay; they were invincible._

_"What should we call him?"_

_Mikan's question startled Natsume, and for a brief moment images of Mikan carrying a baby boy in her arms flashed in his mind before he blinked thrice and asked, "What should we call who?"_

_"Him," Mikan pointed at her bear with laughter etched to her sweet voice, "of course!"_

_Mikan watched Natsume ponder for a second or two, before his lips curved up and he announced, "Natsume Junior."_

_"Natsume Junior?" Mikan incredulously repeated before she started to laugh. "Oh God Natsume you are __so __arrogant." But Mikan said it in such an endearing tone, it was almost as if she was saying those three words._

She was so stupid!

_All this time you were pretending  
So much for my happy ending_

_Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh...  
So much for my happy ending_

She briefly bitterly laughed into the microphone—the irony of it all! So much for her happy fucking ending indeed.

_So much for my happy ending._

_Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh..._

Without saying another word, Mikan breathed deeply into the microphone before she walked off stage. She failed to hear all of the screams and cheers the crowd made for her—_just _for her—all she could think about was getting back to Hotaru as soon as possible. Mikan wasn't the only one to disappear however, when Ruka looked back to see his best friend all he saw was an empty spot. Natsume had fled too.

It was over. It was _all _over.

**0**

The thirty minute break commenced and the Imais and the Sakura parents all went to get some refreshments and went to go to the toilet while they waited for the results to be announced. People in Tokyo Dome were all buzzing about who they thought would win tonight and while Ryo was being dragged by Sumire through the crowd, he caught a lot of different opinions about the Final Round. The girls were taking Ryo backstage—"Is that allowed?" Ryo has asked when Sumire had announced where they were going before she had grabbed his hand. "No, but thanks to Hotaru's conniving ways, yes. We promised them we'd come with you to them during the interval. Only us though."

"Hotaru said if we brought her and your parents it'd get too crowded and it would become too much of a fuss." Nonoko had also informed Ryo. "And Subaru-kun looked like he was desperate to eat."

"Fair enough." Ryo shrugged, not really caring—he was desperate to see his little sister but his eyes widened when he saw the _size _of the body-guard standing in front of the backstage doors. He was at least two metres tall, and had a face that gave them all the impression that he frowned every second of every minute of every day.

"No entrance." came his gruff, monkey-like voice.

"I've got the _password_." Sumire confidently replied. "From Hotaru Imai." She added, murmuring.

Monkey-man actually seemed to take interest in this, raised his eyebrows, looked to his left and right before he bent down so Sumire could whisper: "Password is: password1." in his ear.

"Correct." And with that, King Kong quickly let the girls and Ryo shuffle into the backstage rather inconspicuously.

"I feel like I'm in a speakeasy!" Ryo laughed. "How did Hotaru manage—"

"She blackmailed him." Nonoko answered, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Ah." Ryo smiled. "I shouldn't have even asked."

The girls looked at the charts and saw were all the final contestants changing rooms were—007 for Hotaru and 008 for Mikan. "Let's go!"

"Wait, guys." Aoi stopped them, and when they all looked back at her, she sheepishly smiled. "I really need to do a number one." They all giggled and smiled at her declaration. "Do you mind if I just meet you there? I won't be two seconds!"

"Of course!" Sumire answered. "We'll be in Mikan's room."

Aoi winked. "See you in a few!" With that, Aoi made her way to the toilets. However, she never actually went _in_, instead she waited for the footsteps of her friends to silence outside the entrance of the toilets. Adrenaline was pumping through her veins and once she heard nothing she started to walk in the direction of room 013—_Crimson Abyss_' changing room, according to the charts. As briskly walked, she felt like volcano—all of the anger, tears, frustration she felt for her brother for past years finally seemed to have endured enough pressure; she was gonna blow. She knew it. She _angry_. A year ago, this time, Aoi would have never _dreamt _to do what she about to do, but after seeing Mikan's performance she knew it was the last straw.

Aoi didn't have any second thoughts as she roughly knocked on the door of room 013. She didn't get cold feet when she heard the voices insides. She didn't for one second worry about what her brother might say or do to her in response. She didn't care.

Ruka opened the door.

He seemed surprised to see her. "Aoi—"

Ignoring him, Aoi pushed past the boy she once used to fondly call 'Ru-chan' and walked deeper into the depth of their changing room. Koko and Kitsune-me's jaw also dropped in surprise and before they could blink twice, she stood behind Natsume who was sat with his back to her in an armchair. He didn't even seem to notice somebody had knocked on the door—his eyes were blankly focused in front of him, so he was thoroughly shocked when he felt a hard poke in his shoulder and even more shocked when he saw _who _had poked him. It shocked him so much to see his sister (with such a fierce expression) he stood up from his seat like reflex action. "H-How did you get in—"

He didn't manage to finish that sentence as Aoi had slapped him hard across the cheek. Ruka, Koko and Kitsune-me froze. Natsume's cheek tingled ever so familiarly. Aoi's eyes blared with hatred. "You're fucked up in the head, Natsume." Aoi spat with absolute venom. "I _heard _you that day. I wasn't deaf temporarily, I heard just as I clearly hear Mikan cry every single night—I _heard _you say that Mikan was the best thing that ever happened to you. You said it! Didn't you? _Didn't you_? And look what you done!" she threw her hands up as she scoffed in disgust. "You've gone and ruined it all! You're _fucked _up! You—_you!_ Ugh!" Aoi cried in absolute frustration, whirled 180degrees for a second before she looked back at her brother. Her expression was no longer murderous; instead she looked as if she were in pain. "You . . . Natsume, all these years . . . dad called you a disgrace. Even when _that _happened," everybody in the room knew she meant the incident on his fifteenth birthday, "I didn't find you a disgrace. Even after you left without saying a goodbye to me, I didn't find you a disgrace. Even when you completely _ignored _me and pretended as if we were strangers in the Academy I didn't find you a disgrace. But, wow," her expression suddenly turned hard, "by _God _that's all changed. You're a complete disgrace! You're _fucked _up. You need to see someone, I swear!" Aoi let out a ratty bottled up breath before she gazed into his eyes; his eyes, which were so similar to her's . . . "I never thought I'd think, let alone _say _this but Natsume I am _ashamed _to be your sister. You're just as bad as dad!" Natsume looked up at the statement, his face blank but a wound evident in his eyes. "You hurt everybody who cares about you by pushing them away—your friends, me, and now Mikan . . ." Aoi let another cry. "Y-You're _fucked _up!" With that lingering statement, Aoi turned around, ignoring the other three boys, leaving them all in a state of shock without so much of a goodbye.

Letting out a prickly breath once she slammed the door behind her, Aoi felt a huge burden that she carried on her shoulders for the past years finally lift.

_Goodbye, Natsume._

She walked away with no regrets.

**0**

"Come in!" came Mikan's voice, and Aoi popped her head in before she dazzled them all with her smile. "Aoi!" Mikan happily called.

Aoi noted that Mikan looked like a different person to the person who had just performed. She didn't look as if she had just been crying; she had a jolly face plastered on. Whether it was real or just a brave face Aoi hugged her friend tightly, whispering in her ear, "You were so brilliant." Aoi looked up and pulled Hotaru clumsily into the hug too. "You were _both _so brilliant." She sighed when she let the two girls go. "I wish you could _both _win."

Both shrugged, not really caring. "We've agreed that _if_, and only if one of us wins that person has to take _all _of us for dinner tomorrow night." Mikan winked. "But no biggie if we don't."

Mikan sat back down and took a hold of her older brother's warm hand again. She gingerly smiled over at him, and he returned it. She knew however that whilst she could fool her friends (sans Hotaru) with a smile, it was much harder with Ryo as he knew her like the back of his hand. But when he squeezed her hand tightly, she tightly squeezed back in a sisterly manner. She had missed him so much.

The chirpy talking continued for a few minutes before they heard another knock at the door. "Hey!" came the muffled voice of Andou Tsubasa from the other side of the changing room door. "It's me and a friend! Can we come in?"

"By all means please do!" was Mikan's reply and in a matter of seconds, she saw Tsubasa and—"Oh, Kaname!"

Sono Kaname, the handsome blonde boy she had _bumped _into was there by the doorway too, with a beautiful bouquet in his hands. He waved over at Mikan and she heartily returned it, completely oblivious to the other girls whose jaws were practically touching the floor in absolute shock. Even Hotaru seemed surprised and Mikan vaguely noticed Ryo's hand twitch in her's at the sight of Kaname, but she ignored it before gasping, "Wow! What lovely flowers!"

Kaname threw her a sheepish smile. "They're for you. I'm glad you don't think them as, y'know, corny."

"No of course not!" Mikan laughed. She detangled her fingers from her brother's entwine and stood up to take the flowers Kaname had presented with her. "My first ever bouquet!" she took a second or two or maybe five to admire all the beautiful summer flowers before she looked up Kaname. "They're wonderful!" She inhaled the flowers before she gasped, "Oh how silly of me! Guys this is—"

"Sono Kaname." Hotaru automatically interrupted.

Mikan furrowed her eyebrows, briefly confused why Hotaru knew Kaname's name but nevertheless she shrugged it off and continued, "She's my best friend, Hotaru; my brother Ryo," Ryo nodded, "my friend Sumire," Sumire's jaw was still gaped open, "my twin friends Anna and Nonoko," both the twins' eyes were glassy. "and finally my friend Aoi." A blush that rivaled her red eyes crept on Aoi's cheek.

"Nice to meet you all." Kaname politely answered, smiling at each and every one of them. He then turned his olive-green eyes to Mikan to say, "I just wanted to congratulate you. I thought you were great."

Mikan smiled. "Thank you."

He winked at her (not in a lecherous manner but in a friendly, cool manner that only a good-looking boy such as himself could pull off), before he looked over his shoulder at Andou Tsubasa, "My VIP ticket entitles me to a free glass of champagne—what do you say?"

"I say let's go get it!"

The two handsome boys proceeded to say goodbye to them all (Kaname's eyes however lingered on Mikan's far longer than it did to anybody else) before the door shut close. Mikan fondly inspected her flowers again before she gently placed them on her make up table while humming an unfamiliar tune. How sweet Kaname was! She looked up, and by the reflection of the mirror looked at all her friends. That's when she noticed that her friends and brother still all strangely looked shocked to the bone. "Um . . ." she flickered her eyes between them all, "am I missing something?"

Dot.

Dot.

Dot.

Suddenly Sumire sprung up from her seat and her hands—_claws—_abruptly clutched Mikan's shoulders. Mikan's eyes widened, caught by surprise at Sumire's brash action and at Sumire's bulging, questioning eyes. "_How_," she shook Mikan once, "_do you_," she shook Mikan again like a limp dolly, "_know Sono Kaname?"_

Mikan blinked. "I met him." She truthfully replied, worried albeit a bit scared of her friend. Sumire demanding eyes urged her on. "I mean, I bumped into him a few weeks ago." She laughed. "It's a funny story, really." Mikan couldn't help but feel nervous when everybody continued to look at her with that same incredulous expression, none of them amused in the slightest way. "Why? More like how to _you _know him?"

"Mikan!" Sumire shrieked. "It's Sono bloody Kaname! _Everybody _knows him!"

Mikan blinked again. Then she furrowed her eyebrows. "Why?"

"BECAUSE," Sumire resumed with the shaking-Mikan-like-a-limp-dolly action, "HE'S," another shake, "A," yet another shake, "FAMOUS," oh guess what, _another _shake, "ACTOR!" annnnd a final shake for good measures.

It took a while for Mikan to process what Sumire had just informed her. And once she did, she blinked _again_, before she threw her head back and barked with laughter. "Yeah right!"

Sumire twitched and her grip tightened rather dangerously.

Mikan stopped laughing.

. . .

"Holy _shit!" _Mikan gasped. "Are you _serious?_"

"He had a VIP ticket," Hotaru pointed out. "I tried to get them for you all but I couldn't as they were reserved for famous people; _very important people_, as they like to call it."

"_Me_, the boy from rural _Nagoya_ knows who Sono Kaname is!" Ryo added, rather hysterically. "He's in _all _the good dramas nowadays—how do you _not _know him?"

"I _do _know him."

"No!" Ryo cried. "I mean, how did you _not _know _who _he was? He's famous! He was in the movie last year, you know, the one where the boy gets drafted into the army in World War Two and has to leave his fiancée behind—"

"Oh my _God_, I love that film!" Anna gushed. "_I'll Love You Forever_."

"That's the one!" Ryo said. "It was _huge! _With Yuri Miyazono too!"

"Hey!" Mikan gasped. "Now I think about it, when I met him he did mention something about giving Tsubasa free premiere tickets!"

Aoi was flicking wildly through the magazine, which was laid forgotten on the floor, and soon enough she shoved a spread into Mikan's face to prove to her finally that they weren't all just pulling her leg. And Mikan could all but gape when she saw there were _two_ double pages on Sono Kaname.

"You were given a bouquet by Sono Kaname!" Nonoko squealed. "Do you know how many girls would _kill _to be you right now?"

"He is so much more better looking in person." Aoi murmured beside Mikan as she flicked through the magazine.

"You were given _flowers!_" Sumire repeated, as if she only just discovered this information "By _Kaname Sono! _Holy Jesus Christ!" Sumire screamed in excitement. Sumire then threw Mikan a cheeky smile, "I bet he likes you—"

"We're just friends." Mikan firmly interrupted, before she shut close the magazine with a smile. "It's nothing like that, Permy."

_I'm not ready for anything else._

A smile. A laugh. A grin. A giggle. After her performance Mikan was certain that all her smiles, laughs, grins and giggles were forced and not 100percent genuine. After her performance, she had ran to Hotaru's arm and Hotaru fulfilled her promise—with Tsubasa they quickly took the shaking Mikan to her changing room. She stopped crying in Hotaru's arm quickly enough however and once she sat down in her changing room, she insisted that she was _relieved _more than anything else that the competition was all over. But this was not true. Memories were shifting in and out of reality for Mikan. There was a thin, thin line between the, she had discovered.

"It doesn't stop me from imaging your babies!"

Everyone, including Mikan, laughed at that statement.

Mikan wondered once her laughter ceased whether if Natsume hadn't done what he did to both Aoi and Sumire they could have had a conversation like this about him instead. Whether they would have helped her before every date to get her outfit perfect . . .

_It was never meant to be. There were so many signs and signals but you ignored them all. _

Suddenly a series of notes played to signal an announcement was about to be made. "Ladies and gentlemen," came a clear low voice of a girl, "the judges will be announcing the winner of the Alice Academy Music Competition in five minutes." The girls all gasped. "Please all return to your seats." The announcement repeated, but before the second one had finished, Ryo and the girls had wished luck to both Hotaru and Mikan again and were cleared out of Mikan's changing room.

It was just the two of them now.

"You okay, Mikan?"

Mikan nodded.

Then a smile crept on Hotaru's face. "I can't believe you're friends with Sono Kaname. It's so _you_ not to know who he was either."

Mikan smiled.

There was sharp knock on the door and before Mikan gave her consent the door opened to reveal a backstage crew—he had quickly announced that _all _final contestants were to go on stage for the announcements. He was in such a rush he didn't even hear Mikan thank him for the notice.

"Hey Hotaru?"

"Mm?"

"Can you hold my hand during the announcements?"

Hotaru knew what Mikan had meant. She knew Mikan was probably silently freaking out because she had figured out that she'd have to see Natsume on the stage during the announcements. "Of course, Mikan. C'mon; let's quickly retouch your make-up."

**0**

Natsume Hyuuga came on stage late. But the point was he came; the rest of the band members (including Yuu Tobita who watched from the sidelines) were worried that he wasn't going to show up at all. After being shouted at by his sister, silence had filled their changing room . . . until he quietly left. The three didn't know where he had disappeared off too but they let out a sigh of relief when he appeared. Natsume didn't say anything, but the three knew Natsume had taken what Aoi said to the heart.

He stood beside Ruka, and didn't answer when Ruka asked him if he was alright and questioned where the hell he had just been.

_Crimson Abyss _were clustered on the far right of the stage while Mikan stood on the far left of the stage—as far as possible away from Natsume Hyuuga—whilst holding Hotaru's hand who stood to he right.

Drums were banging, inducing a greater sense of suspense. The crowd were all shouting different names and things. Lights were flashing everywhere in Tokyo Dome.

Mr. Prince who was given the signal, opened the piece of paper that laid in his hand. " . . . aaanndd the winner for the 2008 Alice Academy Music Competition is—"

**0**

**End of Chapter Thirty Three**

**0**

**A/N:**_ YOU ARE THE JUDGES. YOU GET TO DECIDE WHO WINS THE COMPETITION. Go to my profile and vote on the poll! Voting ends on the 30th of June 2011. _**Polls now closed. **

**Information about why I chose the songs above for the Final Round (does not need to be read - just for those who want to know.)**

**Mochu's **song was chosen because I saw Jay-Z last year and that song was the one that stuck to me the most. **Tsubasa's **song was chosen because I love it (the song) so much and I think it needs more views on Youtube, haha. **Hotaru's **piano piece; I think we all love Yiruma (hopefully not because of Twilight, yuck.)

Now **Crimson Abyss.**

I saw One Republic last year too (I am a bit of a concert junkie) with my friends, and (I say it with shame) I went without really knowing their songs (only two, to be honest from their older album) but when they played **All The Right Moves **I was just was one of those songs in a concert where you could _hear _lyrics—it didn't sound like music mesh, which sadly most opening acts usually provide. But despite the fact I could hear the lyrics, I couldn't comprehend the _message _of the song. So being a, I dunno, freak I suppose, I came home and typed in: 'Songmeanings All the Right Moves'

And this is what I got:

_To me, the lyrics are not quite clear since I can't tell who "they" seems to refer to. My take on it though, I could be wrong, is that this song is about a relationship as have been said between a guy and a girl. The guy feels that she is too good for him ("It don't matter what you see/I know I could never be/Someone that'll look like you.") and that the relationship won't last. _

_Possibly he feels this way because he thinks society or other people are trying to break them up ("but soon they'll take us down/  
__Before anybody's knowing our name") and also in this section of the song :  
__"All the right friends in all the right places  
__So yeah, we're going down__  
_

And that's why I chose that song.

And **Mikan's **song; well, considering I actually wrote the plan of this story with that song in my mind at the age of twelve, it was inevitable really.


	38. Bittersweet Oranges

**Disclaimer: **I don't own ANY of the songs, I don't own Alice Gakuen!

**0**

**My Happy Ending**  
_**by Little Miss Giggle**_

**0**

**Chapter Thirty Four: Bittersweet Oranges**

**0**

The crowd welcomed the two called Final contestants on stage, and when Mikan and Hotaru appeared hand in hand, they went wild. The two best friends waved at the crowd (Hotaru in a less energetic manner) with their free hand, feeding the crowd the desire of wanting attention from the contestants. The two noted in the midst of waving that Andou Tsubasa was already on stage too; Mochu and _Crimson Abyss _were yet to be called on. The feeling that Mikan was feeling couldn't really be described in a sentence; she felt overwhelmed, she felt nervous, she felt excited and yet she was terrified—terrified of the results (her heart was pounding so very hard) and terrified for the moment when she will have to see Natsume Hyuuga.

"Keep your eyes on the crowd," Hotaru murmured, pulling Mikan out of her four-second trance. "Focus."

Mikan smiled.

She smiled again when she saw Tsubasa give her a warm smile. "Can you believe this?" he asked. "_Look at them!"_ His hands motioned the roaring, jumping crowd.

Mikan looked up.

In all honesty, Mikan had probably never seen something so beautiful in her life. Her gaze rested with the crowd, and for a moment she forgot all together how to breathe. The evening darkness had crept in, and the flashes of cameras, neon banners, mobile phones all illuminated the whole of Tokyo Dome in an irregular pattern—_oh, if only those flashes were shooting stars! _The screaming of the crowd, Mikan decided as she blew them a kiss, was one of the best things she had ever heard in her life.

"Next," Mr. Prince's excited voice exclaimed, echoing and bouncing off people in the crowd, "please welcome our very own Mochu on stage!"

Just as when Hotaru and Mikan came, the crowd reacted in the very same way when they saw Mochu appear on stage. The only difference was that Mochu came up with a very confident swagger and excited the crowd more by shouting inaudible (due to the amplitude of the crowd itself) messages to them. The anticipation was palpable; everybody in the Dome (even the security guards) were desperate to know who had won this competition—would it be the band? The rapper? The pianist? The female singer? The male singer? They had waited thirty minutes for the answer; they could surely not wait another minute!

Mikan breathed in, and gazed up again.

It was really happening.

This was it.

This could change the winner(s)'s life. This could be the first step to the winner(s)'s new life. This was it. It was really happening.

And yet, Natsume Hyuuga was sat on that floor in the depth of the backstage not even thinking for a second about the fact that he was supposed to go on stage in a matter of seconds, not even thinking for a second about the fact that winning this competition could launch him and his band-mates to a whole new level of success. Somewhere in his abyss of a mind he knew he was being incredibly selfish to his band-mates right now by sitting here and not being _there _with them, but he couldn't move. He felt numb. Back in August last year, he recalled, when Natsume had first heard of the competition all he could think about was winning it but he could only cruelly laugh at that memory because now winning the competition was not at all what he wanted. Honestly, he couldn't give a flying damn now whether his band won this competition or not; all he could think about was a girl; a girl who he had made cry in front of _forty-thousand _fucking people . . . He ran both his hands down the planes of his face and tried hard for a _moment _to forget the image of Mikan Sakura crying but his efforts were futile—the image sequence replayed continuously in his head. On top of that the voice of his sister accusing him of being like the man he hated the most was on loop—_You're just as bad as dad! You're just as bad as dad! You're just as bad as dad! You're just as bad as dad! You're just as bad as dad! You're just as bad as dad! You're just as bad as dad! You're just as bad as dad! You're just as bad as dad! You're just as bad as dad! You're just as bad as dad! You're just as bad as dad! You're just as bad as dad! You're just as bad as dad! You're just as bad as dad! You're just as bad as dad! You're just as bad as dad! You're just as bad as dad! You're just as bad as dad! You're just as bad as dad!_—it just didn't stop.

Natsume screwed his eyes shut.

What had he _done_?

Was he really doing the right thing?

_Yes_. He reasoned for the thousandth time. _Yes_. This way, he was protecting Mikan from his father. This way, he was protecting Mikan from _him. _Aoi was right; he was fucked up and Mikan didn't and doesn't deserve someone as fucked up in the mind as him, just as his father had rightly pointed out. He had tried to change, but God! Who was he kidding? He was still the kid that nearly killed his sister. Still the kid that was responsible for everything that happened that night and just because his father and his tyrant of a manager, Persona, managed to cover it up didn't mean that it didn't happen.

He was still a criminal.

Still guilty.

Meanwhile, Tobita Yuu was panting as he ran as fast as his wiry legs could carry him to the blonde a few metres away from him—"Yuu!" Ruka called, when he saw their manager. His exclamation caused both Koko and Kitsune-me to hopefully look up however the trio were all disappointed when Yuu shook his head, which they all knew signified that their manager had not found Natsume Hyuuga. The backstage crew who witnessed all immediately acted—which included sending _more _crew to find Natsume Hyuuga's whereabouts and also included in telling Mr. Prince from backstage of his absence.

"I've looked _everywhere_," Tobita Yuu gasped out, "but I can't find Natsume!" Even though his words were barely audible, the three could trace the hints of evident concern and anxiety in Yuu's statement. Yuu was shiny with beads of sweat and he looked as if he was about to burst out into tears any second now.

"Okay. Don't worry, Yuu." Ruka kindly smiled, making a mental note that they should give Yuu a _long _summer holiday after this, but Ruka's eyes contradicted what he said as concern was definitely laced in them—Rukawas dead worried. After Aoi stormed out, she had left nothing but silence in the room and it was only broken when Natsume slowly and rigidly walked out of the room a few seconds later. They hadn't seen Natsume since, and they weren't sure if he had gone to speak to Aoi (or Mikan, for that matter) or if he had just gone to find solitude but either way they needed him now and he wasn't there. They had only started this vigorous search-party five minutes ago and Ruka was now expecting the worse: Natsume had left Tokyo Dome.

"What are we going to do, mate?" Koko asked as he saw one of the backstage crew motion conspicuously to Mr. Prince (from the backstage of course, so the audience couldn't see), notifying him that Natsume Hyuuga was still missing.

"What if, y'know, he's left all together?" Kitsune-me inquired, not letting Ruka answer the first question.

Ruka clenched his fist before he sighed. "We will have to go out, just as a three if the time comes and he's still not here."

Koko bit his lip. Kitsune-me swore as he breathed out.

Ruka knew that the backstage crew were not only worried as they run up and down the backstage, but they were also _furious _about Natsume Hyuuga's disappearance. It was causing havoc for them and the backstage crew were openly muttering on how _selfish_ and how _stupid _Natsume Hyuuga was being as it was causing them so much hassle. "He's such a pain in the arse," on crewmember had remarked cruelly, "He thinks he can just disappear like some godforsaken cat because he's the King of the Alice Academy. Prick."

Ruka knew he himself would have probably been pissed off if he was a crew member but the fact was, he wasn't. He was Natsume Hyuuga's best friend and he knew well enough the pain his best friend had endured in his life, and knew right now Natsume was in a really vulnerable state. Ruka Nogi knew his best friend's feelings for Mikan Sakura still lingered (no doubt about that) and also knew that there was something Natsume was not telling him. Ruka wasn't pissed off at Natsume, merely concerned.

"What are we going to tell the crowd?" Koko urgently questioned. "We can't just be like: Sorry folks, Natsume Hyuuga was abducted by aliens."

"We'll just tell them that an urgent problem came up."

And right on cue: "And ladies and gentlemen," came Mr. Prince's voice, "please welcome, finally but definitely not least, _Crimson Abyss _on stage!"

Mikan gripped Hotaru's hand tightly when she heard the crowd's shouting increase—she had promised herself she'd keep her eyes firmly on the crowd but she broke that promise and let her eyes venture in the direction where she knew _Crimson Abyss _to be after she heard both Hotaru and Tsubasa mutter, "What the hell?"

Mikan's hazel eyes saw the familiar faces of Ruka, Koko and Kitsune-me but her ex-boyfriend wasn't to be seen; and it wasn't only them who had noticed—the whole crowd started to buzz, the judges raised their eyebrows and some even demanded on the whereabouts of Natsume Hyuuga.

_Where is he?_

"Is this supposed to happen?" Ryo asked the girls, while his parents furiously snapped photos of their baby girl. "Does he usually not show up?"

"This is the first time." Sumire replied, with her eyebrows furrowed.

Aoi silently gazed on.

_Where is he?_

The crowd, judges and the contestants on stage observed Ruka Nogi stepping forward and say something into the principle, Mr. Prince's ear and it was only moments later when Mr. Prince turned back to the crowd and said: "Regrettably, ladies and gentlemen, I have just been informed that—"

The spotlight however swiftly left Mr. Prince in the middle of his sentence, causing initial confusion but then all attention was turned to where it was shining now—on Natsume Hyuuga who had just appeared ever so quietly like a shadow onto the stage. And yes, almost immediately the crowd applauded at his presence—they cheered and chanted his names and fangirls started to melt into a pool of gush at the mere sight of him. Natsume Hyuuga crept his way next to his best friend with his hands in his pockets and shoulder somewhat hunched. Unheard to anybody else, Ruka turned his eyes to his best friend as soon as he stood shoulder to shoulder to him and hissed, "Where the hell were you?"

Ruka however was not surprised when he didn't get an answer. Ruka knew, after all, by this point that Natsume really didn't give a damn whether they won this competition or not. Natsume never voiced that but his lack of commitment to band meetings recently told the whole story.

Natsume Hyuuga's initial absence was completely forgotten by now and whilst everyone had welcomed him on stage, Mikan's reaction was completely different; to begin with, it was more of a reflex action. Mikan had snapped her eyes quickly away and tightened her grip on her best friend all unconsciously. Just seeing him for that flash of second made Mikan want to curl up in a ball, far far away.

Mr. Prince on the other hand half looked as if he wanted to kiss Natsume for actually showing up and he also half looked as if he wanted to kill Natsume for not showing up in the first place but nevertheless he continued with his cheery voice into the microphone, "All contestants are now on stage," the crowd cheered and screamed incoherent phrases, "and here is the moment you've all been waiting for. This has been a phenomenal night, I'm sure you'll all agree. But only _one _will win the prize." The screaming _quadrupled. _"In this envelope," he held up a beautiful golden envelope, "contains the paper which states who the winner for the Alice Academy's Music Competition is."

"_GO CRIMSON ABYSS!"  
"GET THEM, MOCHU!"  
"HOTARU! MY LOVE!"  
"ANDOU! YOU BETTER FUCKING WIN I'VE BETTED MONEY ON YOU!"  
"MIKAN SAKURA FOR THE WIN!"_

Random statements were being thrown around in Tokyo Dome and as Mr. Prince started to carefully rip open the flap of the envelope, a drumroll started creating nothing but suspense.

Mikan gripped onto Hotaru.

The girls all held onto each other.

The Sakura's and Imai's held their breath.

The crowd valiantly continued with their shouting and cheering.

Lights flashed.

Mochu closed his eyes.

Tsubasa intently watched Mr. Prince now _open _the slip of paper.

Hotaru sighed, hoping he would hurry the hell up.

Koko squeezed his best mate, Kitsune-me tightly. Kitsune-me, of course, squeezed back.

Ruka held his breath.

Natsume didn't even care.

Mr. Prince looked up at the crowd with a I-know-something-you-don't-know grin before he looked down at the judges' panel. After being given a signal from Mr. Narumi, Mr. Prince vaguely nodded and put the microphone to his lip, ". . . aaanndd the winner for the 2008 Alice Academy Music Competition is—"

"_GO CRIMSON ABYSS!"  
"GET THEM, MOCHU!"  
"HOTARU! MY LOVE!"  
"ANDOU! YOU BETTER FUCKING WIN I'VE BETTED MONEY ON YOU!"  
"MIKAN SAKURA FOR THE WIN!"  
_"_GO CRIMSON ABYSS!"  
"GET THEM, MOCHU!"  
"HOTARU! MY LOVE!"  
"ANDOU! YOU BETTER FUCKING WIN I'VE BETTED MONEY ON YOU!"  
"MIKAN SAKURA FOR THE WIN!"_

Time went on, and Mikan watched up move on in front of her as if it was a river, flowing further and further away.

.

.

.

.

.

"—_Mikan Sakura!_"

Screams. Cheers. Tears. Yelling. Applauding. Whooping.

All these exuberant sounds could be heard as confetti exploded above the stage; shiny scraps of tinsel paper were fluttering down and all Mikan could do was look up at them and watch them twirl and whirl down, down, down—"YOU DID IT!" she vaguely heard Tsubasa shout from next to her, and before she knew it she was in the familiar arms of her best friend. Hotaru may or may not have said, "You deserve it, Mikan." she wasn't sure, (she could have even said, "Dinner's on you, Mikan.") because she was quickly swept off her standing place and pulled by Mr. Prince closer, closer to the audience.

Screams. Cheers. Tears. Yelling. Applauding. Whooping.

Screams. Cheers. Tears. Yelling. Applauding. Whooping.

Mikan finally grasped the gravity of what had just happened, as she watched the screaming audience proudly wave their handmade banners high up into the air. These people were screaming, cheering, crying, yelling, applauding and whooping for _her. _

This was for her.

She had won the Competition.

She had done it.

And before she realised, she was crying. Yet, unlike last time on stage, she wasn't crying because of a boy; Mikan felt overwhelmed, so overwhelmed she was scared she was going to be sick from all the love she was receiving from the audience—gratitude and happiness were rolling out of her in forms of tears. With all her heart, Mikan started to wave and blow kisses at the audience and was all of a sudden presented by Mr. Prince with a cheque (of money, money, money!) and a congratulating kiss on the cheek. "Well done, Mikan Sakura."

"Thank you so much—" the microphone was thrusted in her direction by Mr. Prince. "—Oh, okay!" she cleared her throat before she started, "I-I . . ." her voice rung in the Dome. She paused for a moment, to not only get her words sorted out in her head but she also stopped and stared and admired the crowds' beauty. "I-I don't know what to say but thank you." She finally said. "Thank you for the support and thank you Alice Academy for giving me this chance."

While most thought her Southern accent was a breath of fresh air, Natsume Hyuuga felt it squeeze his insides . . . his eyes were fixed on the back of her head and he could remember the feel of her soft brown hair against his fingers as he watched it swish ever so slightly as she spoke.

Mochu clapped with a smile on his face.

Tsubasa cupped his hands around his mouth and whooped.

Hotaru regally clapped with an evident smile on her face.

Three members of _Crimson Abyss _were clapping with smiles on their faces. The odd one out simply gazed longingly at the winner of the Music Competition.

"Really. Thank you so, so, so much."

She smiled brightly when the crowd happily responded and thought vaguely to herself how much love and support she was receiving right now. The cruel, cruel thing was however, yes, she was receiving much love, but it broke her heart to think that she wasn't receiving love from the one she wanted it from the most.

In this world, we always want what we don't have more than anything else.

Screams. Cheers. Tears. Yelling. Applauding. Whooping.

She didn't know what as to come in the future, no, Mikan didn't understand then and there how much her life will _change _by winning that competition. All she knew at that moment (about the future) was the fact that she would have to buy not only all her friends but also her family and the Imai's dinner later that night.

Screams. Cheers. Tears. Yelling. Applauding. Whooping.

All for her. All her's.

**0.0.0**

_It was you and me against the world  
And you promised me forever more  
Was it something that I said?  
Was it something that I did?  
'Cos I gotta know  
What made me unbeautiful._

_I've been told  
What's done is done  
To let it go  
And carry on  
And deep inside  
I know that's true  
I'm stuck in time  
I'm stuck on you  
We were still untouchable_

_It was you and me against the world  
And you promised me forever more.  
Was it something that I said?  
Was it something that I did?  
'Cos I gotta know  
What made me unbeautiful._

_**Good morning, Tokyo  
Issue 87397  
Date: 3**__**rd**__** June 2008**_

**Mikan Sakura wins Alice Academy's Music Competition!  
**Many spectators of the renowned Alice Academy's first ever Music Competition are reported to be 'stunned' from last night's performance. Many however also came home surprised; surprised by the fact that the famous band, _Crimson Abyss_, and famous rapper, _Mochu _of the Alice Academy did not win the Competition; instead an unknown-to-society singer of the Academy with a pretty face and a cute Southern accent won the Competition. She goes by the name, "Mikan Sakura" (not a stage name) and is reported to be only sixteen years old, furthermore it is also reported that she only actually entered the Academy last year. Spectators were 'touched' by her raw, tearful performance ('My Happy Ending') and many agents are rumoured to be interested in employing her in their agencies. There is no doubt we'd be hearing more of Mikan Sakura in the future. No doubt at all.

_**Vivi  
Issue 86462  
Date: 3rd June 2008**_

**Mikan Sakura takes Tokyo Dome by a storm!  
**_See pg. 3 for more!_

_**Ginza  
Issue 2942  
Date: 4th**__**June 2008**_

**Who is Mikan Sakura?**_**  
**__The truth about the girl who captured our hearts._

_**Vivi  
Issue 86471  
Date: 7th June**_

**Mikan Sakura signed with Tono Star Records!  
**_Akira Tonochi said to be "delighted" to have Mikan Sakura in his company . . .  
_Read more pg. 6!

_**Seventeen  
Issue 230593  
Date: 9th June 2009**_

**Exclusive Interview with Mikan Sakura!**  
It's only been a few days since the legendary competition held by the famous Alice Academy however Tokyo is still buzzing about Mikan Sakura. _Seventeen_ have managed to speak with Mikan Sakura—she came into our studio in a plain white teeshirt and washed out jeans and down-to-earth is definitely a word that describes this newcomer.  
_See more pg. 19!_

_(snippets from the interview):_

**M**: It's surreal that I, you know, won that competition. It's an incredible feeling and sometimes I have to remind myself by saying, you know, something like: "Oh yeah. That _actually_ happened."  
**I**: Do you feel any different?  
**M**: No. I mean, it's still me. I'm not any different to when I was _before _the competition. The only difference is that people _actual _want to know about me. Which is totally bizarre.  
**I**: How do you feel about this sudden attention?  
**M**: Oh. (laughs) I'll _definitely _need to get used to it. But it's not quite sinking in yet—as I said it's still _me._ But I'm not going to complain about this attention; I've always wanted to become a singer, and if this is part of the deal then so be it!  
**I**: Oh, really? You've always dreamed about this?  
**M**: Yes! My best friend, Hotaru, could complain to you for _days _about how I just didn't shut up about this dream, (which is scarily now a reality!) when I was younger. Now I think about it, my whole neighbourhood could actually tell you about that!  
**I**: Where do you come from? I can tell by your accent you are not from Tokyo.  
**M**: I'm from rural Nagoya.  
**I**: By your ear-to-ear grin, I can tell you're very proud to be as well.  
**M**: Yes, I love Nagoya! I'm so glad I grew up there—there were only a few hundred living in my area in Nagoya (it was a really rural area, haha) and . . . yeah, I just loved it.  
**I**: I see! . . . Hold up, you _did _say Hotaru before, correct?  
(**M** nods)  
**I**: You don't mean Hotaru Imai, one of the finalists of the competition?  
**M**: (smiles and nods) The one and only! Hotaru Imai is my best friend. She basically grew up with me—we lived on the same road.  
**I**: What a prosperous road indeed!  
**M**: (laughs) Well, we're going back to that prosperous road indeed this summer! Some of our friends plan to visit for a few days too.  
**I**: Of course! Summer holidays, starts soon, no? Sheesh, I completely forget you were still sixteen there for a second . . . do you plan to stay in school for the next two years?  
**M**: Oh yes, definitely! And my summer starts on July 1st.  
**I**: Excited?  
**M**: And relieved.

(_end of snippet)_

_**Fudge  
Issue 0029471  
Date: 20th June 2008**_

**Mikan Sakura and Natsume Hyuuga?  
**The streets of Tokyo are all buzzing about the rumour of Natsume Hyuuga and Mikan Sakura! According to _many, many _sources (from the Academy and some from bystanders of Tokyo) Mikan Sakura and Natsume Hyuuga (_Crimson Abyss, _photo below) are dating—Mikan Sakura has also recently been identified as the past-Unknown girl to be kissed by Natsume Hyuuga in Ueno Kouen earlier this year in April. What a beautiful pair!  
. . .

_**Grazia  
Issue 2893  
Date: 21st June 2008**_

**Mikan Sakura and Natsume Hyuuga: Are they or aren't they?  
**Many spectators are gossiping openly about the relationship of these two teenage sensations. Natsume Hyuuga who has been in the business for over a year now (lead singer of boy band, _Crimson Abyss_) is two years senior to the new, fresh-faced phenomenon Mikan Sakura. While many claim that these two are exclusive to this day, many students from the famous Alice Academy itself have contradicted this rumour; they let the fire die by stating, "That's old news. They're not together anymore." So are they or aren't they?  
Natsume Hyuuga will be graduating from the Academy in less than two weeks while Mikan Sakura has confirmed herself she will return to the Academy come September.

**Ruka Nogi Class of '08  
Natsume Hyuuga Class of '08  
**(1st July 2008, Graduation Day.)

_**Grazia  
Issue 2986  
Date: 10th July 2008**_

**Rumour was just a rumour, folks.  
**Claiming that she was single in her short interview with Radio 1 last week, Mikan Sakura has single-handedly thrown that rumour (of her dating Natsume Hyuuga) in the garbage can. We're sure however that the two dating in the past is not a just rumour—check out photos of them together below. (Left: Mikan Sakura and Natsume Hyuuga in Ueno Kouen _taken by Hikari Kitamura_) (Right: Mikan Sakura and Natsume in Ueno Kouen kissing _taken by Yamato Murakami_) What happened to them? That's what we'd like to know.  
. . .

**Spotted! Mikan Sakura and Hotaru Imai with friends from the Academy in Nagoya. **_(Date: 21st July 2008)_

_**Jelly  
Issue 9137  
Date: 8th August 2008**_

**Summer love?  
**Paparazzi and fans of the new Mikan Sakura and Sono Kaname (famous actor, see below) are having a field day after yesterday; local people from the Aichi Prefecture managed to snap many, many photos of the two buying an ice-cream in the streets of Nagoya together and these alleged photos are now all over the world wide web. Mikan is said to have been bought a strawberry flavoured ice-cream by gentleman, Sono Kaname (look below for photo). Uncertainty still buzzes in the air about how the two met and what their relationship is (must be something as Sono Kaname most likely flew or took the train all the way down to Nagoya to meet Mikan Sakura!) but all we can say now is that we'll definitely keep an eye on these two.

_**Quote from Mikan Sakura **__(from Vivi): _Kaname and I? Going out? Oh no, no, no! We're just friends! Why is it when a girl is with a guy she _has _to be going out with him or else she's labelled a you-know-what? I mean, can't we just have guy friends without being judged?  
_(Date: 18th September 2008)_

**Welcome to the Mikan Sakura Official Website  
**_Date: 27th September 2008  
_Heads up guys! Mikan Sakura's single, _No Parade_, is coming out next week on iTunes! Make sure to support her by buying it!

_**Good morning, Tokyo  
Issue 87464  
Date 16th September 2008**_

**Sakura's single about breakup's a success!  
**_Read more on page 13 . . ._

**Artist**:Mikan Sakura

**Song**: No Parade  
user1842: This song was written by Mikan Sakura herself, and the message is simple (even an idiot can deduce it): a certain relationship she had fell apart without any "parade", i.e. warning. She's basically saying her relationship, which was doing really good ("you were never supposed be just somebody in the past, somebody I used to see") suddenly collapsed as "trouble crept up on us (her and her boyfriend, well, ex)" and "before I (Mikan) knew we were dust". Simple really. Simple yet really, really damn sad nevertheless.

_**Grazia  
Issue 3008  
Date 29th October 2008**_

**Mikan Sakura's song about Natsume Hyuuga?  
**While back in June we were all in frenzy thanks to the rumour of these two couples dating it quickly fizzed out (when Mikan herself denied it) and it turned into a different hype when pictures of Mikan and Sono Kaname were taken. However the original frenzy on Mikan and Natsume Hyuuga (_Crimson Abyss_) have ignited yet again after there has been buzzing and talking on the Internet that her single, _No Parade _was actually written about her break-up with her rumoured ex-boyfriend, Natsume Hyuuga. "They had something special," a source from the Academy claims, "but then one day, poof! Gone." Mikan's winning song, _My Happy Ending_(now available on iTunes) also seems to follow the same pattern and students from the Academy are "certain" that that piece was written about Natsume Hyuuga . . . could it be? Is Mikan Sakura singing about her ex-boyfriend?

_**Grazia  
Issue 3009  
Date 5**__**th**__** November 2008**_

**Mikan Sakura refuses to talk about her song . . .  
**_Read more pg. 72!_

_**Fudge  
Issue 003972  
Date 28th November 2008**_

**Where is Natsume Hyuuga?  
**Yesterday, on the 27th of November, Natsume Hyuuga, lead singer of boy band _Crimson Abyss_turned nineteen. Many fans camped outside _Serio Records_ in Tokyo hoping to get a glimpse, or even better give their birthday gifts to Natsume Hyuuga however many went home with disappointment and their gifts still unwrapped. Natsume Hyuuga is reported not to be seen at all the whole of yesterday and many are starting to actually question his whereabouts as his face in society is becoming more and more scarce. "He's just busy," says manager Yuu Tobita when asked, "now he's not in school he's out in the real world, you know." Yes, thank Yuu, we know _however _this brings us to question: what has Natsume Hyuuga been doing? There have been no releases of singles or albums from _Crimson Abyss_ despite the high anticipation. Where are they? Come back, boys, we miss you! And happy 19th; hope you had a good one!

**Spotted! Mikan Sakura and friends in Chinese restaurant for her birthday! **(_Date: 1st January 2009)_

**Welcome to the Mikan Sakura Official Website  
**_Date: 15th February 2009  
_Heads up guys! Mikan Sakura's second single, _Haunted_, is coming out next week on iTunes! Make sure to support her by buying it!

_**Good morning, Tokyo  
Issue 98753  
Date 23rd February 2009**_

**Mikan: Another successful Single!  
**_Read more on pg. 13 . . ._

**Artist**:Mikan Sakura

**Song**: Haunted  
user1842: Me again. Okay, another simple deduction—especially easy to deduce as this song has very, very similar features as her song, _My Happy Ending. _Simply: the ghost of her past relationship haunts her and she believed to have had him "figured out" but then he "walked away from everything" they had together. But interesting new point: there's another guy ("he will try to take away my pain") buuuut "the whole time I'm (Mikan) wishing it was you (ex-boyfriend) instead". Yowch. Sorry another guy. So yup, sounds like the same break-up with the other two songs to me. Must have been pretty bad if it's all she can sing about, eh? Get over it, girl!

_**Grazia  
Issue 3008  
Date 29th February 2009**_

**Another one, Mikan?  
**Although she refuses to comment on this matter, we have an itch (that just needs to be scratched!) that all these past songs are about the same guy (cough, Natsume Hyuuga, cough.) Tell us what you think on our wesbite. **  
**

_**Good morning, Tokyo  
Issue 98965  
Date 14th March 2009**_

**Crimson Abyss Disbanding?  
**Many fans panic at the rumour on the world wide web that famous boy band _Crimson Abyss _are in the process of disbanding and the cruellest thing of all is that (if this is indeed true!) they are disbanding before even releasing a song (let alone an album!) in the world!  
_Read pg. 21 for more._

_**Good morning, Tokyo  
Issue 98967  
Date 16th March 2009**_

**Are Crimson Abyss disbanding because of Mikan Sakura?  
**Thousands of Facebook users have joined a group which claim that Mikan Sakura (Natsume Hyuuga's ex-girlfriend) is the cause of the band's rumoured disbanding over the past couple of days—Comment from Ayaka Suzuki reads: _Ever since the Competition CA _(Crimson Abyss) _have stopped whilst MS _(Mikan Sakura)_ has grown in fan numbers! She's obvs_(iously)_ threatened CA with her songs (sob, sob I'm playing the smallest violin for you, MS!) and her aim is to shun them out of society by painting Natsume-sama to be bad!__  
_Read more pg. 3.

**RukaNogi  
twitter  
RukaNogi **despite recent talk, we are not disbanding. Just saying. And thanks for b'day wishes!  
_17th March_

_**Good morning, Tokyo  
Issue 98985  
Date 26th April 2009  
**_

**Crimson Abyss in dangerous waters?  
**So they aren't disbanding (hurrah!) but could they be _dropped _from their record label (le gasp!)? Last night at the premiere of new thriller, _Three Phone Calls, _Serio Persona, world-wide famous producer and owner of the renowned _Serio Records _made an appearance in his usual black clad and when questioned about _Crimson Abyss _by one of our reporters, Mr. Persona made no efforts to hide he was "disappointed" by their lack of work since graduating from the Academy last year in July. Even worse, when asked (as a _joke_, no less!) whether he was planning to drop _Crimson Abyss_, he didn't say no (he didn't say yes either though . . .)! What's written in the stars for famous boy band, well, only time will tell.

**Spotted! Mikan Sakura and Hotaru Imai attend premiere of Sono Kaname's new film, **_**Lip Ring**_**. Mikan Sakura and Hotaru Imai both wore beautiful dresses designed by "a very special friend." **_(Date: 3rd May 2008)_

_**Ginza  
Issue 85624  
Date: 17th May 2009**_

**Mikan Sakura and rapper, Mochu, collaborating?  
**Mochu, an ex-pupil and famous rapper from the Alice Academy has been climbing to the chart's Top Ten ever since he graduated last year in July, and there have been rumours that now twenty year old Mochu is desperate to get the seventeen year old Mikan Sakura to work with him.  
_Read more pg. 8!_

_**Fudge  
Issue 92894  
Date: 22nd September 2009**_

**Mikan Sakura's album release date delayed . . .  
**Who could blame her really? She's still seventeen, in school—girlfriend's got a lot on her plate right now! Mikan Sakura herself apologized to her fans with a homemade video (posted on her website) saying that her album won't be released any time this year but definitely next year (she pink swore to that!) probably in Summer when school will be over for her.  
_See her video at her website . . ._

**Spotted! Mikan Sakura, Hotaru Imai, Andou Tsubasa, Sono Kaname and friends at Nobu for Mikan's eighteenth birthday! **_(Date: 1st January 2010)_

**Welcome to the Mikan Sakura Official Website  
**_Date: 7th June 2010  
_Mikan Sakura's album, _Bittersweet Oranges,_ to be released in exactly a month! Pre-order now on iTunes!

**Aoi Hyuuga Class of '10  
Sumire Shouda Class of '10  
Anna Umenomiya-Ogasawara Class of '10  
Nonoko Umenomiya-Ogasawara Class of '10  
Hotaru Imai Class of '10  
Mikan Sakura Class of '10  
**(1st July 2010, Graduation Day.)

**Welcome to the Mikan Sakura Official Website  
**_Date: 9th July 2010  
_Mikan Sakura's new album, _Bittersweet Oranges, _was released exactly two days ago! Buy your very own album of her first album here!

**Professional ratings  
Review Scores of album, **_**Bittersweet Oranges**_**  
**Allmusic 4/5  
Robert Christagu A-  
Entertainment Weekly A  
The Guardian 4/5  
Los Angeles Times 3/4  
The New York Times (favourable)  
Rolling Stone 4/5

**0.0.0**

**2010  
15****th**** July **

**0.0.0**

Natsume Hyuuga rolled his ever-crimson eyes under his sunglasses as he noticed the girl at the cashier pushing her body onthe till in order to get a better look at him, while a quizzical brow was lifted on her face. Her eyes were squinted, and Natsume found it quite rudehow she was shamelessly ogling at him. Natsume Hyuuga coughed rather pointedly, hoping she'd get the message to _stop_, but hey who knew that would spike her interest even more, eh? Finally accepting that his girl won't quit, Natsume mentally started to pray—he prayed to the Lord above that she wouldn't realise _who _he was. Natsume pulled his cap further down his face and pushed his dark glasses further up the bridge of his nose at thought.

It was just past midnight now—outside was dark, but not pitch black thanks to the neon lights and by God was it hot out there. Nearly reaching 40degrees Celsius, Tokyo was at its summer peak, but there Natsume Hyuuga was alone in the air-conditioned 24 Hour CD shop.

Technically speaking of course, he wasn't alone—the girl made the two of them and Natsume noted she was _still _gazing at him now with her mouth slightly ajar. He wondered briefly if she was staring at him because she could _see _past his rather lame disguise or because she thought he was a spy (you know, with the black sunglasses, jeans and cap. C'mon, who else would wears sunglasses this late at night?).

Pushing his thoughts aside, his concentration was regained and both his crimson eyes and fingers skimmed through the row of "Most Popular" CD's. His fingers trickled over many CD's, and he recognized a few of the artists from his days at the Academy but finally his fingers abruptly came to a stop . . . and almost gentlyhe held up the CD that his fingers halted on. The CD bore the name, _Bittersweet Oranges, _and it also bore a beautiful girl on the cover, who was looking straight up from the CD cover to his eyes. Looking up at him with those hazel coloured eyes he missed so bloody much. He gazed down at her lips and spotted the small beauty spot that rested on the top of her cupid's bow.

_. . . he brought his index finger to her lips and touched the top of her cupid's bow affectionately. "You have a beauty spot here," he announced softly, taking Mikan by surprise again. This time however, she couldn't help the sheepish smile that made its way to her lips before she replied, "And __you__ have one," she placed her index finger on his strong, masculine jaw line, "here."_

He was stuck in the past for a few moments before he blinked, and remembered where he was. And after that, without any second thoughts, Natsume turned around with the CD in his hands and made his way to the counter. The girl, noticing with a delay that he was heading her way blinked before she squeaked.

_Honestly._

"G-Good evening," she breathlessly said as a smile leisurely formed on her face, "how can I—"

"Just this please." Natsume bluntly interrupted as he put the CD down on the counter.

"Of course . . ." was her rather slow answer and Natsume could feel her gaze burning into his face. He coughed, as he inclined his head to the side in vain to shield his face from the penetrating look. "That'll be 3000Yen."

As quickly as he could, he tossed over three 1000yen notes over to the girl, refusing to make eye contact. Sluggishly, the girl retrieved the crinkled up notes, _never _taking her gaze off Natsume. Time couldn't go more slowly as she put the money in the till, as placed the CD in a plastic bag, as she secure the bag with a short strip of sellotape, and when she _finally _handed the bag to him, she gasped, recognition now evident on her face. "Oh my _God! _Are you Natsu—"

"No, never heard of him." And with those five words, Natsume rapidly walked out the CD shop, and once he exited it, he jogged swiftly down the streets of Tokyo, never looking back.

_That was close._

The last thing he wanted right now was a squealing fan asking for a signature to proceed by updating her Facebook status/twitter tweet: _I just met Natsume Hyuuga! And he bought Mikan Sakura's new CD! SCANDAL._

Definitely not. If the news of him ever buying Mikan Sakura's new CD came out to the open, he would be chased to the goddamn toilet by the paparazzi. They'd have a field day and God could only imagine what kind of ridiculous headlines would appear on the gossip column on the news: _Natsume Hyuuga buys beloved ex's CD at the dead of night. _or maybe even: _It's been two years and Natsume Hyuuga still not over Mikan Sakura. _or maybe even: _Natsume Hyuuga buys ex-girlfriend's CD with tears in his eyes._

. . . Alright, apart from the last imaginary headlines that ran wildly through his mind, they weren't at all ridiculous. He knew that. He knew that very well.

Natsume's pace gradually slowed down, and his crimson eyes caught the bright colours of _Denny's._ He looked at it for a moment before he decided he was craving a coffee rather badly so after checking his cap and sunglasses in a car's window reflection, Natsume entered _Denny's_. Immediately, he was hit with the smell of curry and soya sauce and chirpy voices that all sang a "Welcome to _Denny's!_" to him.

"For one?" a waiter asked as his eyes flickered behind Natsume to double-check he was indeed alone.

"Yeah."

"Smoking or non-smoking?"

"Smoking."

"Of course sir, follow me!" The man grinned before he swivelled around on his heel and directed Natsume to booth. Natsume took in that there weren't many people in the restaurant—a tired looking business man; a teenage girl who was texting viciously on her phone; a group of boys all slurping on their noodles and finally a happy looking couple, who had their hands knotted together in the middle of the table.

"Please call me when you are ready to order sir—"

"Can I just have a black coffee please? And a portion of chips." Natsume ordered as he sat himself down in the seat. After the waiter had jotted the order down, Natsume threw him a rather tight smile, which was supposed to be thankful. When he was finally alone, Natsume looked down at plastic bag which was placed upon the tabletops. Without hesitation, Natsume proceeded by tugging open the bag and carefully took the CD out. He peeled the think plastic wrapping before he managed to _open _the CD case. He looked at it, and as he picked up the CD pamphlet he realised that his breathing had become irregular. He coughed before he mentally slapped himself: he needed to get a grip. Natsume then gingerly flicked through the thin pamphlet, and his eyes caught that the lyrics of all the songs in her album were in the CD pamphlet.

He liked albums that had that.

Filling his lungs with a gust of new air as he inhaled deeply, Natsume finally opened the CD pamphlet on the first page. There, a picture of Mikan sitting down on a wooden chair in a big woolly jumper that reached her knees and present on her feet were silver ballerina flats. Her expression was unreadable; her face, which was hardly touched by makeup, was looking dead into the centre of the camera. Her hair was let down in big lazy curls.

_Thank you so much for buying this. I love you all! _

_xoxo Mikan_

That was printed on the left hand corner of the picture and Natsume couldn't help his fingers trace her kisses and name; her handwriting was still the same—all joined up, neat and curly.

Natsume stared down at the picture for a few more seconds before he turned the page. It was a double page; on the left page it consisted of the track list, and on the right page, a picture of her again; this time with a smile present. He took in every detail of it—her dimples, the colour of her cheeks, the sparkle in her eyes . . .

Rumours had been splashing on the tabloids about his past relationship with Mikan Sakura ever since 2008; and by God did they all piss him off (he still can't believe people actually buy these trash and actually enjoy reading about exaggerated stories of other people's lives), especially as none of the tabloids got it right. Not that they should—after all, it was still only him who knew why he broke up with Mikan Sakura. But when tabloids sprouted things like, "Natsume Hyuuga still thinking about Mikan Sakura; that's why he's still single!" the story themselves pissed him off (as they were totally exaggerated and 99.9% fake) but he knew himself more than anyone knew that he was very much not over Mikan Sakura.

He still loved her.

Two years later, here at Denny's.

Natsume bit his lips as his eyes flickered back to the track list.

1. In Gakuen Alice  
2. Haunted  
3. No Parade  
4. Broken Strings feat. Andou Tsubasa  
5. Airplanes feat. Mochu  
6. Set The Fire To The Third Bar feat. Andou Tsubasa  
7. Firefly  
8. Your Song (Cover)  
9. Keep Breathing  
10. Bittersweet Oranges

He had already seen the track list on the internet before the album was released and immediately his curiosity peaked, and with a heavy heart, Natsume turned the page.

A double spread picture of the Alice Academy. Printed on top of it, were the lyrics of _In Gakuen Alice. _

Slowly but surely, he started to read them. No air went in, and no air went out as he read the lyrics written by Mikan Sakura, his ex-girlfriend, the only girl he had ever loved.

**In Gakuen Alice**

_Crashed on the floor when I moved in  
This little dorm room with some strange new friends  
Stay up too late, and I'm too naïve  
We prom_**i**_se each other it's 'til the end  
Now we're spinning round in circles  
It's the six of us  
With pretty eyed boys girls die to trust  
I can'_**t**_ resist the day  
No, I can't resist the day_

_Permy screams out and it's no pose  
'Cause when s_**h**_e dances she goes and goes  
Beer through the nose on an inside joke  
And I'm so excited, I haven't spoken  
And she's so pretty, and she's s_**o**_ sure  
And maybe I'm more silly than a girl like her  
Summer's all in bloom  
Summer is ending soon_

_It's alright and it's nice not to be so alone  
But I hold on to your secrets in Gak_**u**_en Alice_

_Maybe I'm a little bit over my head  
I come undone at the things he said  
And he's so cool with his bright red eyes  
We were all in love and we all _**g**_ot hurt  
I sneak into t__**h**__e car's cracked leather sea_**t**_  
The smell of gasoline in the summer heat_

_Boy, we're going way too fast  
It's all too sweet to last_

_It's alright  
And I put myself in h_**i**_s hands  
But I hold on to your secrets in Gakuen Alice  
Love, or something igni_**t**_es in my veins  
And I pray it never fades in Gakuen Alice_

_My first time, hard to explain  
Rush of blood, oh, and a little bit of pain  
On a starry night, _

_it's more common than you think_

_He's my first mistake._

_Maybe you _**w**_ere all sm_**a**_rter than me  
I gave myself up _**s**_o easily  
These silly little wounds will never mend  
I fee_**l**_ s_**o**_ far from where I'_**v**_e be_**e**_n  
So I go, and I will not be back here again  
I'm gone as the day is fading from Gakuen Alice  
I lied, wrote my injuries all in the dust  
In my heart is the six of us  
In Gakuen Alice_

_And you, maybe you'll remember me  
What I gave is yours to keep_

_In Gakuen Alice__  
In Gakuen Alice_

_In Gakuen Alice._

**0**

**End of Chapter Thirty Four**

**0**

**A/N:** I don't own any magazines used in this chapter either. Don't forget that they are _tabloid _snippets. And what do tabloids notoriously do? Exaggerate information.

**Poll results:**

**Mikan Sakura: 63% (82)  
Crimson Abyss: 16% (22)  
Andou Tsubasa: 9% (12)  
Hotaru Imai: 8% (11)  
Mochu: 2% (3)**

**Thanks for participating!**

1. In Gakuen Alice (_White Houses _by) Vanessa Carlton (N.B lyrics changed)  
2. Haunted by Taylor Swift  
3. No Parade by Jordin Sparks  
4. Broken Strings by Nelly Furtado and James Morrison  
5. Airplanes by b.o.b and Hayley Williams  
6. Set The Fire To The Third Bar by Snow Patrol  
7. Firefly is an _own song I wrote (hence crap.)_  
8. Your Song (Cover) by Ellie Goulding  
9. Keep Breathing by Ingrid Michaelson  
10. Bittersweet Oranges is _also an own song I wrote._

**_PS: Don't miss the secret_** me**_ssa_**g**_e_s****_ in her song, In Gakuen Alice . . ._**


	39. Patience

**Disclaimer: **I don't own ANY of the songs, I don't own Alice Gakuen!

**.0.**

**My Happy Ending**  
_**by Little Miss Giggle**_

**.0.**

**Chapter Thirty Five: Patience**

**.0.**

_Just have a little patience  
I'm still hurting from a love I lost  
I'm feeling your frustration  
Any minute all the pain will stop._

_Just hold me close inside your arms tonight  
Don't be too hard on my emotions._

_'Cause I  
Need time  
My heart is numb, has no feeling  
So while I'm still healing  
Just try and have a little patience._

– _Patience, Take That _

**0**

It had been two years. In Ruka's opinion, two very long years. It had been two years since they graduated from the Alice Academy; two years since they (they in both cases obviously being Koko, Kitsune-me, Natsume and himself) agreed on buying an apartment (with the money they had made in the past) in Roppongi, Tokyo; two years since they (the four) started to live together in that purchased apartment.

Their apartment was spacious, no doubt about that. It had quite a similar layout to that of their room in the Academy—a large living room; a shared kitchen and dining room; toilets; bathrooms; and five bedrooms (however one was used as a 'game room'). Their apartment also included a balcony and the boys often enjoyed going out there at night to admire the stretched out skyline of Tokyo.

The four, easy to say, settled in their new abode in no time.

During the course of the two years although the media claimed and sobbed about their lack action, the boys had in fact been doing a hell of a lot, even though it pretty much had nothing to do with music. After graduating and faffing about in their new apartment for five months, Ruka had one day found an injured puppy on his way back home from a walk. You could say it has been just under two years since they (the four, the four!) have had Hachi, the dog. Finding Hachi practically changed Ruka's life as it had again been under two years since Ruka had started to take nightly Veterinary Nursing courses at the nearest University. He was still yet to receive his qualification in being a vet but when he started to take these courses back at the end of 2008, it had a knock-on effect.

Both Koko and Kitsune-me, inspired by Ruka's dedication to his nightly courses and Hachi, decided one Wintry night (back in '08) that they would _both _sign up for something the very next day, following Ruka's admirable example.

Koko was now (July 2010) a qualified magician.

Kitsune-me was now (July 2010) a qualified wind-surfer, scuba-diver instructor.

But what Natsume had been doing for the past two years was nothing praiseworthy or worthwhile like the rest. Smoking more than cigarettes, Natsume Hyuuga had spent most of his last two years cooped up like a battery-chicken in their apartment. He spent most of his time smoking; reading a manga or two; watching television programmes Ruka _knew _he hated; slurping on instant Cup Noodles and on browsing on the internet on his laptop. From the description, one may go as far as calling this Natsume a recluse, however this was not the case. Natsume did indeed still speak, comment, make crude jokes, laugh, keep in touch with friends, such as Mochu and manager, Yuu, from the Academy. He still did go out, sometimes for a jog, sometimes for a coffee, sometimes to buy more ciggys, sometimes with the boys for lunch or dinner but regardless more than half of the past two years was spent _in_. When questioned about this Natsume tended to shrug it off, claiming he simply can't be arsed to go out and preferred to be at home.

So it wasn't like Natsume was now a depressed emo-boy.

But there was something unhinged about Natsume ever since May 2008; he possessed an unstable aura and to make matters worse, Natsume was an occasional user now. The boys had become excessively worried back at the end of 2008 when they first discovered Natsume smoking cannabis one evening in his room while he was writing on his desk.

"What the fuck, Natsume!" Ruka had cried, appalled while Koko and Kitsune-me all but gaped at their friend before them.

Natsume turned back to look at his friends, and didn't reply for ten seconds. He had blinked before he explained; "I read that musicians and artists created their masterpieces when they were high." Natsume had then proceeded by gesturing at his notebook on his desk—he had been writing lyrics.

The boys had been far from impressed, however. But as much as they hated to admit it to one another, let alone Natsume, the lyrics Natsume wrote when he was high were ten times better than his usual standards. Too bad Natsume always threw his lyrics away though, claiming they were "not good enough." Girls were also "not good enough" for Natsume now; Koko who once upon a time used to enjoy watching TV shows with Natsume and rating them on the Hot or Not scale could only now _yawn _when he watched TV shows with Natsume. "She's fit," Koko would say but Natsume's response (whilst in the past might've been more lewd or bluntly hilarious) were usually now always shrugs accompanied with the line, "She's not good enough." The only ever 'okay' Koko had ever heard about a girl on TV was a brunette girl who vaguely (if you squinted and tilted your head back) looked like Natsume Hyuuga's ex, Mikan Sakura.

Mikan Sakura. Now there's a taboo between the four boys.

The boys were smart enough to never mention her in the presence of Natsume, but Natsume himself gave them all enough unconscious and unintentional clues that hinted clearly to the boys he was always thinking about her and that told the boys he still cared for her immensely. For example Natsume for the past two years never failed to buy a dozen of oranges each week and the boys thought it was no coincidence that Mikan's name in Japanese stood for oranges. It wouldn't had have been suspicious if Natsume had always bought oranges every week but this now-fixed habit of his only started after he stopped seeing her. Another notable event was on the evening of the 11th of January 2009, whilst the four were eating dinner at their apartment (Hachi too was contently eating his doggy food). Kitsune-me mentioned, whilst chewing with his mouth full, that one of his favourite comic books, _Lip Ring_, was going to become a movie and when Koko curiously asked who was going to play the lead role he airily answered, "Sono Kaname." Kitsune-me however regretted responding to that question immediately. Mentioning Mikan in front of Natsume was one thing but mentioning Mikan's rumoured new _boyfriend_ in front of Natsume was another (truly horrifying) thing. Natsume's reaction was to rudely throw his cutlery down and leave the dinner table. The next morning however, Natsume apologized to Kitsune-me.

"I'm sorry," he had said while he rubbed his hollowed-out eyes, signifying his lack of sleep, with his forefingers, "you know. For last night."

"Natsume—"

"I just," at this point Natsume had stopped rubbing his eyes—his left hand was now tightened into a fist, "_hate _that guy." He had growled.

Ruka never told anyone but when he borrowed Natsume's laptop one evening, he quite sneakily checked the history of Safari (i.e. Internet Explorer) and found that Natsume had been regularly googling Mikan Sakura, both for information and images. That was one secret he decided, as he pulled shut the lip of the laptop, he would take to the grave.

Sadly, things started to go for the worse in April, 2009 and it was due to their lack of commitment to the music industry for the past couple of months. The boys didn't really like to point fingers to blame however even Natsume himself could admit the lack of commitment of _Crimson Abyss _was because of him. When Yuu called to organize band meetings Natsume would not only be late but would hardly contribute at all to the meetings. When they decided deadlines for a song, Natsume never kept them. When Koko or Kitsune-me or Ruka asked for advice on music, Natsume never gave it, instead he gave them empty promises that he would 'later'. When Natsume wrote songs, he usually binned them . . . some, he admitted he kept but those were for his eyes only, he decided.

"Natsume," Yuu had huffed one afternoon in March, "what do you _want_? Do you want to be in this band? Do you want to be in a band at all?" Yuu had been uncharacteristically short-tempered that afternoon but no one could really blame him.

"I dunno what I want right now, Yuu. I just . . . I just need time."

"We don't _have _time. Persona's getting really impatient and I mean that."

After that little wake-up call (if you can call it that), the boys all collectively decided that by the end of 2010, they would have released at least one song. _At least. _Yuu was delighted by this news however was rather disappointed when Natsume insisted that he still needed some time in their next meeting.

"Ruka," Yuu called after Ruka after such band meeting, "can I talk to you for a minute?"

Minute really meant an _hour _and the hour mostly consisted of Yuu ranting to Ruka on how worried he was for Natsume. "He seems really . . . I can't help but say, messed up. Is he alright?"

Ruka at that moment briefly wondered whether he should mention the fact that Natsume now sometimes smoked cannabis but thought against it (Yuu would probably faint before he would probably send Natsume in a FRAGILE box to rehab and that was the last thing Ruka wanted: the media finding out about Natsume's occasional offence), but nevertheless he did admit, "I think he's still hung up about, you know . . . Sakura."

"Ah . . . but _still? _Really?"

Really.

2009 sludged on slowly like a slug uphill and the boys started to notice that Natsume's mood was going downhill. "I think it's because of She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named," Koko whispered one night, "I went to a convenience store last night by some junk and saw that practically _all _the magazine issues this month feature a picture of Mika—I mean, She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named together on the front page." 2009 successfully ended on a happy note on most parts but one couldn't help notice the differences in Natsume Hyuuga's appearance, let alone his attitude compared to that of himself back at the beginning of the year.

Dark circles were carved permanently under his bloodshot eyes. His hair was albeit too long, too out of control. He chin was dotted with scratchy stubble. He seemed too pale. He just wasn't the same Natsume Hyuuga was he was before. No longer did he carry that air of arrogance and cheek and it scared the boys when they saw Natsume, who they once believed to be so fearless, look so vulnerable.

The date was the 15th of July, 2010. Well it had practically _just _turned to the 15th of July; it was forty-two minutes past midnight and Koko, Kitsune-me and Ruka were all sat on the couch in their living room. Hachi was soundlessly curled up in a ball besides Ruka's left leg and occasionally, without thinking much of it, Ruka would stroke Hachi's fluffy back however marred on his face was a frown. Koko every two minutes for the past hour had sighed irritably. Kitsune-me openly looked pissed off. The three were waiting for Natsume; he had been out the whole of yesterday but the three were far from worried about his disappearance, instead sentiments of anger were directed to Natsume from them all.

It had all to do with the article published the day prior on the 14th of July, 2010, which was placed carelessly down on the coffee table in front of them. Splashed on the page was a picture of Natsume and Mochu together in Tokyo from last year, and above, the headline:

**Natsume Hyuuga co-writes song, **_**Just A Dream, **_**for rapper and friend, Mochu  
**Natsume and Hyuuga and Mochu, the rapper, are known to be buds from their time of their Academy and it is no secret that they have collaborated before in the past (_Numb/Encore_). But a complete turn of events, rumour has it that Mochu's hit single, _Just A Dream_, (released only last month)'s lyrics were actually written with the help of Natsume Hyuuga. To what extent of help, nobody but they know, but it's the lyrics of this particular song that makes this juicy information ("_I was thinking about her/thinking about me/thinking about us/what we gonna be/open my eyes/it was only just a dream" _– the lyrics throughout the song clearly suggest the singer is regretting breaking up with his ex-girlfriend, who now seems to have somebody else in her heart. Erm, sound familiar anyone?). Many comment that it also doesn't make sense that Mochu himself would write a song such a _Just A Dream_, as he has been and still is with his long-term girlfriend, Yuki.  
Speculators are now wondering whether Natsume Hyuuga is now writing for other artists instead of writing for his own band, _Crimson Abyss, _which would explain how the members of the band are still surviving out there without releasing anything! It doesn't however explain _why _Natsume Hyuuga himself just won't sing his own songs himself. Only time will tell.

All the boys' backs tensed when they heard the front door being clicked open. They knew the culprit was Natsume however they didn't say anything, they just waited silently for Natsume to walk in the living room (which he inevitably would have to, to go into his bedroom anyway).

"Oh. You're still up."

The three all turned to look at him simultaneously. As if reading their minds, Hachi nose suddenly started to twitch uncomfortably—Natsume reeked of smoke. And as if reading Hachi's mind, Koko bluntly blurted out, "You smell like a hobo." in reply.

Natsume blinked.

"If anything, you look like one too!" Kitsune-me commented, his statement lacking his usual present humour. "Natsume, when is the last time you've _shaved_?"

Natsume opened his mouth, but before he could reply, Ruka asked, "Where have you been?"

"Out." Answered Natsume. Ruka carefully inspected his best friend and took a mental note that he was holding a plastic bag from a CD shop. He dismissed that thought quickly as it came however and questioned his best friend further, "For over 12 hours?" This was true; Natsume had left the house at around 11.30am on the 14th. "Doing what?"

He shrugged, "You know." A tired smile made way to Natsume's face and he directed it to his friends. "Stuff."

"Hm, like, mm I don't know maybe writing lyrics for other artists instead of focusing on your own band?" Kitsune-me demanded, suddenly standing up from his seat. His sentence had started off soft, but it ended on a harsh note, which complimented with his hostile eyes. "What the _hell _is up with that, Natsume?"

"What—"

Roughly, Kitsune-me passed Natsume the article and it took Natsume merely seconds to read the contents of it and after those seconds he had a very pissed off look etched on his face himself. "The media." He growled, as he threw the article down on the floor beside him, "I _hate _the bloody—"

"It's true then?" Kitsune-me demanded. "Is it true?"

Koko didn't give Natsume a chance to reply: "Obviously, right? We read the lyrics. It's blatantly about Mikan—"

"Koko," Ruka hissed in warning, "don't."

Koko now whirled his glare in Ruka's direction, "Don't?" He scoffed, "Ruka, aren't you supposed to be Natsume's best friend? I don't know about you, but if I were his best friend I'd tell him what was on my mind. Don't deny it Ruka, _you're _fed up too." Hachi at this point started to whine, crying, clearly frightened by the raised and angry voices. "Tell your _best mate _to get his priorities straight! And tell him he needs help! _You _need to help him by telling him that!"

Silence ensued after that uncharacteristic exclamation by Koko, (of course, except for Hachi's high pitched cries) but then, a sigh was heard from Ruka. He too now stood up to face his best friend—Koko was right. Ruka was fed up; after basically two years of _this _from his best friend_, _Ruka was fed up. Enough is enough.

"Natsume," Ruka rubbed his face, "you . . . we need to release a song. Seriously. You can't keep beating around the bush." Natsume somewhat pursed his lips in reply, so Ruka continued: "You _do _realise what would happen if continue this, right? Persona might drop us." There was a dark undertone to that statement that all the boys picked up upon without fail. "Think about that, Natsume."

The trio could tell Natsume was feeling uncomfortable—his eyes were uncharacteristically darting all over the place.

"What I don't get is Natsume, you _are _writing songs . . . for other people!" Koko exclaimed. "Why can't you write songs for _us?_"

Koko probably knew the answer to his own question deep down. So did Kitsune-me. So did Ruka.

Silence followed for a few seconds before Ruka quietly voiced out what was on everybody's mind at that current moment: "Natsume you have to talk to someone about . . . you know. Natsume," he let out a bottled up breath, "you have to talk to Mikan."

It felt foreign saying Mikan's name out loud to Ruka.

"No I don't." Natsume immediately responded. "Besides, even if I tried to, I know she'd never speak to me again anyway."

"And whose fault is that?" Kitsune-me shot back angrily, "You've done this to yourself, Natsume. _You _broke up with her, God knows why, but _you're _the one who's still in the same place! You're not over her and you have _definitely _not moved on! _You _did this to yourself Natsume!"

At the back of his mind, Ruka thought to himself that this was the most brutally honest thing that the boys had ever said to Natsume in their lives but at the same time, he was unconsciously aware that somehow this talk would benefit his best friend. "You're holding onto the past, Natsume." He softly commented. " Let it _go_."

Letting go of the past was a very hard thing for Natsume Hyuuga to do. "I . . . I don't think I can." Natsume honestly and vulnerably answered.

Kitsune-me groaned, "Then _why _the _fuck _did you break up with her in the first place, eh?"

"I—" Natsume swallowed, and looked up to his friends. He was being awfully honest tonight, and if anything he wasn't used to talking about what he was really feeling inside. He used to be very good at hiding his pain, but for the past few months, Natsume found it harder and harder to keep up his fearless, tough persona. It was all crumbling down. Enough is enough. "I still love her."

Natsume thought he'd never admit that to anyone directly and although the boys seemed shocked for a brief moment at his sincere statement it all but lasted only a few seconds, only to be broken up Koko who said, "Well, we kind of guessed that." _Just thought you'd never actually say that_, he thought to himself before he continued, "This past year and a half is evidence if anything . . ."

Natsume stiffly nodded and without saying anything else, the boys saw that he was now starting to retreat—run away, as he always did—in the direction of his room, with a total look of fatigue plastered on his face.

"You're so fucked up, Natsume." Ruka quietly commented, just before Natsume closed his bedroom door behind him. Everybody thought immediately of Aoi's last words to Natsume at Ruka's words . . .

_"You hurt everybody who cares about you by pushing them away—your friends, me, and now Mikan . . ." Aoi let another cry. "Y-You're __fucked __up!" With that lingering statement, Aoi turned around, ignoring the other three boys, leaving them all in a state of shock without so much of a goodbye._

Aoi hadn't contacted any of them since then.

Silence ensued.

Hachi whimpered, frightened by this dense silence.

Ruka sighed. "Who wants some coffee?"

**.0.**

The three and Hachi were all in the dimly lit kitchen, swirling their cups of coffee with their own teaspoons. The confrontation to Natsume was still on all their minds, and none of them really knew what to say at that current moment as they drank their bitter coffees. The kitchen clock ominously tick-tocked—time was slipping away and each tick seemed to get exponentially louder and louder to the ears of the boys.

"I don't think I've ever heard silence this loud." Kitsune-me all of a sudden stated due to the fact he couldn't bear to hear nothing for another second.

Ruka hummed in reply.

"He needs to see someone." Koko said after a few seconds passed, steering the conversation back to their troubled friend.

"Not someone," Kitsune-me replied, "he needs to see _Mikan_ and he needs to speak to her and hopefully after that he'd get closure and just be able to let her go."

"Yeah, but that's not really possible is it? I mean she's famous now! We don't know where she is; we can't contact her easily and ever if we do, she probably won't give us the time of day anyway . . ." Koko pointed out dejectedly.

Ruka refilled his cup of coffee and whilst he was the thoughts of Aoi resurfaced and that's when it hit him: "Maybe we can contact Aoi."

"Aoi?"

"Yeah," Ruka answered, ideas whirring in his mind as he sat back down, "we can track her down and speak to her." Koko and Kitsune-me had uncertain looks on their faces, nevertheless, Ruka pressed on, "We need to do _something_, guys. We're his friends! I mean, you know, maybe can Aoi can _help_. Natsume _needs _help. He's not normal—he's become . . . I dunno, mad?"

"Yeah, I think he's gone off the rails . . . has been off them for quite some time now."

"Exactly." Ruka said. "And what have we done? Nothing." Shame prickled on the boys' skin. "So as his friends, we _need _to do something about it before it's too late. If anything, we've been shit friends these past two years for keeping our silence while Natsume go crazier by the day." By this point in the discussion, Koko had already got his iPhone out of his pocket and was clicking around on it, while Kitsune-me was rolling Ruka's idea in his mind.

"You say that," Kitsune-me slowly said, "but track Aoi down? Ruka, we live in Tokyo! Do you know how many people there are in Tokyo—"

"Not a problem." Koko interrupted, and when the two turned to look to Koko, he looked up from his iPhone to them with a grin on his face. "I found Aoi on Facebook," Right on cue, he flashed his screen in the direction of his friends, "and it says on her Facebook info that she takes night courses at _Bunka's Fashion College _in Shinjuku."

Oh, the wonders of Facebook!

The boys all looked at each other, all with the same thought in their minds. They were going to find Aoi; speak to her; and hopefully, fix their friend.

Yes. That's the plan.

**.0.**

1. In Gakuen Alice  
2. Haunted  
3. No Parade  
4. Broken Strings feat. Andou Tsubasa  
5. Airplanes feat. Mochu  
6. Set The Fire To The Third Bar feat. Andou Tsubasa  
7. Firefly  
8. Your Song (Cover)  
9. Keep Breathing  
10. Bittersweet Oranges

**No Parade  
**_**lyrics: Mikan Sakura**_

_I'm already looking back  
I'm already looking around  
Where did we get off the track?  
What wa_**s**_ it that brought us down?_

_I'm already waking up  
Oh, have I been asleep _**t**_oo long?  
Losing you is hard enough  
Not know_**i**_ng anything was wrong_

_Changes come but where they go  
You never know_

_Just another day _**l**_ike any other  
Nothing in the sky said run for cover  
Just another reason  
Never thought it would end this way_

_There was no parade, no _**l**_ights flashing  
No song to sing along the _**w**_ay  
There was no parade_

_The st_**o**_ry was supposed to last  
You were _**n**_ever supposed to be  
Just somebody in the past  
Somebody I use_**d**_ to see_

_Troubl_**e**_ crept up on us  
The wa_**r**_ning never came in time  
Before I knew it we were dust  
Just left behind, left behind_

_Changes come but where they go  
You never know_

_Just another day like any other  
Nothing in the sky said run for cover  
Just another reason  
Never thought it would end this way_

_There was no parade, no lights flashing  
No song to s_**ing**_ along the way  
There was no parade, no waves crashing  
There was no one else around for days  
There was no parade_

_And after all the noise I never heard our last goodbye  
It was silent as a butterfly_

_There _**w**_as no parade, no lights flashing  
No song to sing along the way_

_T_**h**_ere was no parade, no waves crashing  
There was no one else around for da_**y**_s_  
_There was no parade, no parade, no parade . . ._

**0**

**Broken Strings feat. Andou Tsubasa  
**_**lyrics: Mikan Sakura  
co-written by Andou Tsubasa**_

Andou Tsubasa:

_Let me hold you for the last time  
It's the last chance to feel again  
_**B**_ut you broke me, now I can't feel anything_

_When I love you and so untrue  
I can't even convince myself  
When I'm speaking it's the voice of someone _**e**_lse_

_Oh, it tears me up  
I tried to hold on but it hurts too much  
I tried to forgive but it's not enough  
To make it _**a**_ll okay_

_You can't play our broken strings  
You can't feel anything  
That your heart don't want to feel  
I can't tell yo_**u**_ something that ain't real_

_Oh, the _**t**_ruth hurts and lies worse  
How can I give anymore  
When I love you a l_**i**_ttle less than before?_

Mikan Sakura:

_Oh, what are we doing?  
We are turning into dust  
Playing house in the ruins of us_

Andou Tsubasa and Mikan Sakura:

_Running back through the _**f**_ire  
When there's nothing left to say  
It's like chasing the very last train  
When it's too late, too late_

_Oh, it tears me up  
I tried to hold on b_**u**_t it hurts too much  
I tried to forgive but it's not enough  
To make it al_**l**_ okay_

_You can't play our broken strings  
You can't feel anything  
That your heart don't want to feel  
I can't tell you something that ain't real_

_Oh, the truth hurts and lies worse  
How can I give anymore  
When I _**l**_ove you a little less than before?_

_But we're running through the f_**i**_re  
When there's nothing left to say  
It's like chasing the very last train  
When we both know it's too late, too late_

_You c_**a**_n't play our broken strings  
You can't feel anything  
That your heart don't want to feel  
I can't tell you something that ain't real_

_Oh, the truth hurts and lies worse  
So how can I give anymore  
When I love you a little less than before?  
Oh, you know that I love you a little less than before_

_Let me hold you fo_**r**_ the last time  
It's the last chance to feel again_

**0**

**Airplanes  
**_**lyrics: Mochu; written for Mikan Sakura**_

Mikan Sakura:

_Can we pretend that Airplanes  
I_**n**_ the night sky  
Are like shooting stars  
I could really use a wish right now  
(wish right n_**o**_w)  
(wish right now)_

_Can we pretend that Airplanes  
In the night sky  
Are like _**s**_hooting stars  
I could really use a wis_**h**_ right now  
(wish right n_**o**_w)  
(wish right n_**o**_w) _

Mochu:

_Yeah,  
I could use a dream or a genie or a wish  
_**T**_o go back to a place much simpler than this  
Cause after all the partyin' and smashin' and crashin'  
And all the glitz and the glam and the fashion  
And all the pandemonium and all the madness  
There comes a time where you fade to the blackness  
And when you're staring at that phone in your lap  
And you hoping but them people never call you back  
But that's just how the story unfolds  
You get another hand soon after you fold  
And when your plans unravel  
And they sayin' what would you wish for  
If you had one chance  
So airplane airplane sorry _**I**_'m late  
I'm on my way so don't close that gate  
If I don't make that then I'll switch my flight  
And I'll be right back at it by the end of the night_

Mikan Sakura:

_Can we prete_**n**_d that Airplanes  
In the night sky  
Are like shooting stars  
I could really use a wish right now  
(wish right now)  
(wish ri_**g**_ht now)_

_Can we pretend that Airplanes  
In the night _**s**_ky  
Are like shooting stars  
I could really use a wish righ_**t**_ now  
(wish right now)  
(wish right now) _

Mochu:

_Somebody take me back to the days  
Before this was a job, before I got paid  
Before it ever mattered what I had in my bank  
Yeah back when I was tryin' to get a tip at subway  
_**A**_nd back when I was rappin' for the hell of it  
But now a days we rappin' to stay relevant  
I'm guessin that if we can make some wishes outta airplanes  
Then maybe yo maybe I'll go back to the days  
Before the politics that we call the rap game  
And back when ain't nobody listened to my mix tape  
And back before I tried to cover up my slang  
But this is for the decatur, what's up Bobby _**R**_ay  
So can I get a wish to end the politics  
And get back to the music that started this shit  
So here I stand and then again _**I**_ say I'm hopin' we ca_**n**_ make some wishes outta airplanes? _

Mikan Sakura:

_Can we pretend that Airplanes  
In _**t**_he night sky  
Are like sh_**o**_oting stars  
I could really use a wish right now  
(wish right now)  
(wish right now)_

_Can we pretend that Airplanes  
In the night s_**k**_y  
Are like shooting stars  
I could reall_**y**_ use a wish right now  
(wish right now)  
(wish right now) _

_I could really use a wish right now, I could really use a wish right now, wish right now  
Like shooting stars  
I could really use a wish right n_**o**_w,  
use a wish right now, wish right now._

**0**

**Set The Fire To the Third Bar  
**_**lyrics: Mikan Sakura  
co-written by Andou Tsubasa**_

_I find the map and draw a straight line  
Over rivers, farms, and state lines  
The distance from 'A' to where you'd be  
I_**t**_'s only finger-lengths that I see  
I touch the place where I'd find your face  
My finger_**s**_ in creases of distant dark places_

_I hang my coat _**u**_p in the first _**b**_ar  
There is no pe_**a**_ce that I've found so far  
The laughter penetrate_**s**_ my silence  
As drunken men find fl_**a**_ws in science_

_Their words mostly noises  
Ghosts with just voices  
Your words in my memory  
Are like music to me_

_I'm miles from where you are,  
I lay down on the cold ground  
I_**,**_ I pray that something picks me up  
And sets me down in _**you**_r warm arms_

_After I have travelled so far  
We'd set the fire to the third bar  
We'd share each other like an island  
Until exhausted, close our eyelids  
And dreaming, pick up from  
The last place we left off  
You_**r**_ soft skin is weeping  
A joy you can't keep in_

_I'm miles fr_**o**_m where you are,  
I lay down on the cold ground  
And I, I pray that something picks me up  
and sets me down in your warm arms_

_I'm miles from where you are,  
I lay down on the _**c**_old ground  
and I, I pray that something pic_**k**_s me up  
and sets me down in your warm arms._

**0**

**Firefly  
**_**lyrics: Mikan Sakura  
Music accompanied by: Hotaru Imai (Piano)**_

_There's a new girl in town,  
they says she's beautiful -  
smart, and my age  
My chubby cheeks flush and I pout  
and with a m_**i**_ssing front tooth  
I ask my mother, "Is she prettier than me?"  
My mother smiles and pinches my cheeks.  
"That, I really doubt." she replies.  
So I did too._

_But some days later,  
there on my face was frown  
my narrowed jealous eyes were brown,  
but her's were violet.  
Now an angry b_**l**_ush blotched on my cheeks  
The New Girl was pretty  
"When she's older," they say," she'll be a fitty."  
I ask my brother, " Me or her? Who's cuter?"  
And he didn't say me._

_But she really sparkled like a firefly,  
she lit up the t_**o**_wn  
She was as bewitching as a butterfly  
But at first I could only frown  
I was jealous  
She was what the French call "belle"  
She cast a spell on the town  
She was an e_**v**_er glowing firefly._

_W_**e**_ were both children  
and at playtime I watched her,  
her hair was short and black  
but there was something she did lack:  
a friend._

_Every pla_**y**_time, she sat inside on the pian_**o**_ stool  
or played with a scientific tool  
and I tho_**u**_ght that was so cool  
I suddenly didn't want to play tag anymore,  
I wanted to play with her  
so after one day  
I didn't go out to play  
I stayed inside with her  
and I opened my back pack and took out my plastic microphone  
and waited.  
with the microphone shaped like an ice cream cone.  
I waited.  
and waited._

_'Cos she really sparkled like a firefly,  
she lit up the town_

_She was as bewitching as a butterfly  
At first I could only frown  
But then I wanted to be her friend.  
She was what the French call "belle"  
She cast a spell on the town  
Lit a flame in my _**h**_eart pretty much as soon as she came.  
She is an ever-glowing firefly._

_The tunes she played were all magical  
I was enchanted  
and realised that for once my br_**o**_ther was right.  
Then, by fate, she played a familiar tune,  
And even with a lisp  
I put _**t**_he microphone to my mouth  
and sang my six year old heart out.  
The New Girl was surprised, but _**a**_t the end of the song  
she said, "Let' be friends."  
I was so glad she came along!_

_'Cos she _**r**_eally sparkled like a firefly,  
she lit _**u**_p the town  
She was as bewitching as a butte__**r**__fly  
At first I could only frown  
But now she is my best friend  
She is what the French call "belle"  
She cast a spell on the town  
She's my ever glowing firefly._

_She's my ever-glowing firefly._

_We're nearly 20 now,  
and to the world she's a famous pianist  
whose music has cast a spell  
she's what the French call "belle."  
She's my ever glowing butterfly.  
I still remember the day  
when she came along  
when we sang that song  
_

_When she was there for me when no one was  
And I'll be there by her forever in return  
'Cos.. . . ._

_She's my ever glowing best friend._

**0**

**Your Song (Cover)  
**_**lyrics: Elton John (all rights reserved)  
**_

_It's a little bit funny, this feeling inside  
I'_**m**_ not one of those who can easily hide  
I don't h_**a**_ve much money, but boy if I did  
I'd buy a big house where we both could live_

_So excuse _**m**_e forgetting, but these things I do  
See I've forgotten if they're green or they're blue  
_**A**_nyway the thing is what I really mean  
Yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever _**s**_een_

**A**_nd you can tell everybody this is your song  
It may be quite simple, but _**n**_ow that it's done  
I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind that I put down in words  
How wonderful life is now you're in the world_

_If I was a sculptor, but then a_**g**_ain no  
Or a girl who makes potions in a _**t**_raveling show  
I know it's not muc_**h**_, but it's the best _**I**_ can do  
My gift is my _**s**_ong, and this one's for you_

_And you can tell everybody this is your song  
It may be quite simple, but now that it's done  
I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind that I put down in words  
How wonderful life is now you're in the world_

**0**

**Keep Breathing  
**_**lyrics: Mikan Sakura**_

_The storm is coming but _**I**_ don't mind  
People are dying, I close my blinds_

**A**_ll that I know is I'm breathing now_

_I want to change the world  
Instead I sleep  
I want to believe in more than you and _**m**_e_

_But all that I know is I'm breathing  
All I can do is keep breathing  
All we can do is keep breathing now_

_All that I know is I'm breathing  
All I can do is keep breat_**h**_ing.  
All we can do is keep breathing_

_All we can do is keep breathing  
All we can do is k_**e**_ep breathing  
All we can do is keep breathing  
All we can do is keep b_**r**_eathing  
All we can do is ke_**e**_p breathing now._

**0**

**Bittersweet Oranges  
**_**lyrics: Mikan Sakura  
Music Accompanied by: Hotaru Imai (Piano), Sumire Shouda (violin)  
Back-up vocals: Anna and Nonoko**_

_The fruit bowl shines in the sunshine and with a smile,  
you pass me an orange  
Your pink hair bounces and flounces  
and your ocean blue eyes twinkle before you go,  
only to leave a sweet, sweet candy floss scent behind_

_I know you bought ounces of oranges for me  
to make me feel better, but I'm not sick;  
my mother also asks me how I've been doing in the letter she sent,  
Outside, there's no dent,  
there's no fault, I'm fine.  
I just miss you, is that a crime?_

_I start to peel the orange  
Lick the juice off my finger  
And finally take a bite._

_And I taste:  
A sweet and sour flavour that tickles but prickles my mouth,  
it's the same bittersweet taste of love  
The citrus lingers in my mouth after the oran_**g**_e is gone_

_And I miss it  
But unlike you  
I can just pick another one from the fruit bowl  
But you still linger in my mind, even if you've been long gone_

_And I miss you  
I can't just pick another one of you from anywhere  
You're one in a billi_**o**_n.  
Just like a star._

_Just like a star._

_Aoi has designed me another beautiful dress  
I hug her and thank her while another friend's green eyes sparkle,  
and she compliments both me and y_**o**_u,  
the model and the designer  
and tells me, "You should wear it tonight for your gig."_

_So I slip the _**d**_ress,  
It'll be a long night I know  
But all six of you will be backstage  
as well as a basket of oranges on my coffee table  
And before I take one to peel  
They ask me how I feel:  
"I'm fine, just a bit nervous."  
But I also miss you; is that a crime?_

_So I start to peel the orange  
Lick the juice off my finger  
And finally take a _**b**_ite._

_And I taste:  
A sweet and sour flavour that tickles but prickles my mouth,  
it's the same bittersweet taste of love  
The citrus lingers in my mouth after the orange is gone  
And I miss it  
But unlike _**y**_ou  
I can just pick another one from the fruit bowl  
But you  
Still linger in my mind, even if you've been long gone  
And I miss you  
I can't just pick another one of you from anywhere  
You're one in a billion.  
You're one in a billion.  
Just like a star.  
Just like a star._

_Now it's been a while since that time,  
since you were mine.  
I file you in my memories,  
I'm really fine now, sure, I miss you,  
but that's not a crime.  
I'm a girl that has feelings  
no longer for orang_**e**_s -  
But instead only for sweet, sweet peaches  
which signals a new start  
and signals a new love._

After Natsume finished listening to all her songs, he replayed them all again. And again, and again . . . listening carefully to her voice . . . again and again and again.

**.0.**

**End of Chapter Thirty Five**

**.0.**

**A/N: **NONE OF THESE SONGS (sadly, except for the two crappy Bittersweet Oranges and Firefly) BELONG TO ME. Lyrics all belong to the _real _musicians (who the songs belong to) respectively (details on the chapter before this one, on my author's note).


	40. Just A Dream

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Gakuen Alice, as you probably now know.

**.0.**

**My Happy Ending**  
_**by Little Miss Giggle**_

**.0.**

**Chapter Thirty Six: Just A Dream**

**.0.**

But it was not your fault but mine  
And it was your heart on the line  
I really fucked it up this time  
Didn't I, my dear?  
Didn't I, my...

– _Little Lion Man, Mumford & Sons_

**.0.**

**16th July, 2010**

"Bless you!" someone chimed after Aoi Hyuuga had sneezed. Feeling mildly satisfied after that sneeze, Aoi heartily thanked the person before she continued to sketch on her pad. Her grey pencil created lines; lines, which connected to other lines and formed something beautiful, something which one day would be lifted off the page and brought into reality by Aoi. Hopefully. Aoi was in the midst of designing a winter coat despite the fact it was mid-Summer, but alas she was already preparing for the Bunka Fashion's College's renowned fashion show in December. And despite only attending evening classes since March 2010, Aoi was already recognised by her the college as a girl with potential in the fashion industry.

However Aoi was not stupid. She knew her chances of becoming a fashion designer were slim. The fashion industry was just as tough and rigourous as any other industry, and she knew her dream would not come true in a snap of fingers. She smartly reasoned she'd have to start off small in order to end up big.

Nevertheless, Aoi couldn't help but feel mildly frustrated at the state of her life. Fair enough, she had just turned nineteen last month and graduated only two weeks ago; she was still so very young but Aoi couldn't stop herself from comparing herself to all of her best friends. Here she was, at nineteen, attending nightly (Mon-Fri) courses (7.30pm – 10.30 pm) at a fashion University in order to get a mere inch closer her farfetched dream. She had been doing so since March, getting permission from the Academy (as she was still technically their student back in March) to attend these nightly courses, which she funded herself back then initially by the money she had won from the Music Competition (Mikan had kept her promise and shared her winnings with her friend), yet the enrollment fees itself consumed much of it. Thus, she started to have to fund the fees by working every Saturday and Sunday at a boutique in Harajuku.

Her friends started to often complain from March how they were seeing so little of Aoi due to her nightly courses and work on the weekends, but they respected that this was required for Aoi in order to follow her dreams as a fashion designer, so they supported her in any way they could. That included making bento-boxes for her to sustain her in the evening, doing her homework on some nights and brewing a strong cup of coffee for her every morning.

They had all graduated the Academy two weeks ago, and Aoi knew then she could switch these tiring evening courses to day courses, but the evening courses were cheaper, and it also gave her the opportunity to start working on the weekdays as well.

As much as she disliked working in the boutique, she knew she needed to save up as much money as she could. So, five Saturdays before her graduation Aoi had tentatively asked her employers whether she could change from having a part-time job, to a full-time job come July and they agreed; ten in the morning till six, one hour lunch break, and a day off on Sunday. Of course this made her greatly appreciate things such as lunch and Sundays, and coming home to her small, cheap-rent apartment she shared with her twenty-year-old boyfriend, Youichi.

Youichi had graduated a year prior and asked Aoi out last November, and when he (oh so very cutely) shyly asked her this February whether she wanted to move in with him once she graduated, she responded by throwing her arms around him and kissing him. Not only was she ecstatic that he asked her of such commitment, but she was also grateful, as she had been worried about her accommodation after she had graduated the Academy and she had voiced this out to him on their last date. "It's really dingy though." Youichi had added after her hearty actions, with his lips upturned. "I don't care!" had been her reply, "As long as I'm with you, I don't care if it's dingy!" And true to her words, Aoi didn't – she really didn't. In her opinion, there was nothing better than waking up next to a sleeping Youichi, but when she juxtaposed her life with her best friends, she couldn't help feel somewhat belittled.

Anna and Nonoko both wisely applied for jobs in the spring holidays and both managed to snag a place at a company that organised important events. The company not only paid reasonably well (it paid exceptionally well compared to Aoi's job), but also promised to let the two perform at one of their minor events in the future. And they had only been working for less than two weeks _and _they had the whole weekend off! Aoi had spoken to Nonoko on the phone three night's ago, and was informed that Anna and herself had decided when they had enough money (which, at the rate they were going, Aoi guessed would be in maybe in a year or two), they planned to open a 1920's speakeasy inspired café together. Obviously, this stirred surprise in Aoi ("But it's such a cool job! _And _you get to do what you love – sing! AND THEY PAY SO WELLLL….!") but the feeling left as quickly as it came. Nonoko explained that they had decided earlier this year that they would not take the path of a musician regardless of their once upon a dream, which was news to Aoi. After hearing their justification, and hearing how the twins had already estimated prices and planned to save up, Aoi couldn't help but admire their courage. She admired how they planned to throw everything they had for something else with all but a smile on their faces; admired how they knew what they wanted to do next, despite of what _could _happen – courage that Aoi feared she didn't have in her.

And how could Aoi not admire Sumire?

What started off as giving a concert to the _Orphanage Elder Home _sprouted into something beautiful for Sumire.

The _Orphanage Elder Home _was a home for both orphaned children and the elderly, run by a family and volunteers and Sumire was contacted from them through the Academy in April. Initially, she declined their request for her to play the violin for the children and the elders due to still being _in _the Academy (exams and such), but when she graduated in July (i.e. just over two weeks ago) she accepted their invitation and went to play for them on the 4th of July. Touched by the parent-less children's infectious spirit and the elders' valiant struggle against age, Sumire accumulated great interest for the home after her much liked and much appreciated performance, especially when the family running the home told her that with the recession they wasn't sure if they could keep up with the finances for much longer. Her reaction to that piece of information surprised the girls, as currently Sumire was a full-time volunteer in the _Orphanage Elder Home – _she even resided at the home! Not only was that a honourably charitable act in Aoi's point of view, but it was also a financially wise decision Sumire had made, as although she did have to pay monthly for the accommodation, food and electricity, it totaled up very cheaply.

Making other people happy seemed to be making Sumire happier than ever, and Aoi could still remember the exuberant shriek she emitted when both Mikan and Hotaru promised they'd give a free performance to the home in the autumn. "We could even hold a charity concert and give all the money raised to the home!" Mikan had even suggested, and everyone approved the idea, and last time Aoi had spoken on the phone with Sumire, she was already looking into concert venues where she could hold this charity concert, and by the looks of it all, according to Sumire, they might be able to hold it sometime in December.

The _Orphanage Elder Home _could not be more grateful, and Aoi could not be more proud than she was of Sumire's selfless actions.

And who could forget Hotaru and her avid fans? Being a in the Final Round of the Alice Academy's music competition was the initial stepping stone and launch of Hotaru's fame and now, two years later, she had her own website; a devoted fan-club dedicated to her; praising articles written about her by respected classical conductors, composers, artists; and was due to hold concerts in big, echoey halls with pretty lights and comfortable red velvet chairs – _and _she was still only eighteen and she had accomplished this much in the past two years.

Despite that, she was still same to the very core; her love for money, best friend and food had not altered in any form. Hotaru and Mikan promised they would share an apartment together after graduation, and that was one they kept. They had already found a suitable apartment and invested in it before their graduation, yet it was only Hotaru living in the new abode at that current moment as Mikan had decided to go back to her parent's house for the whole of July for a holiday. When she spoke to Hotaru on the phone, she had informed Aoi she had nearly finished unpacking all her things and was settling in her new home quite nicely, despite missing a certain loud best friend of hers.

Hotaru was brilliant, there was no doubt about it.

Mikan. Mikan, Mikan, Mikan, the youngest of them all!

The past two years had been a rollercoaster ride for Mikan. Ups and downs and twirly loop-the-loops – her ride was all over the place, and the starting point was the moment her name was announced as the winner of the 2008 Alice Academy Music Competition. When Mikan woke up everyday, she had to remember that she was national celebrity now; she had to consider her fans and the press as she chose her outfit and put make-up on. One spot; two bags under the eyes; one bad angle of a photo; anything _remotely _unflattering and Mikan's face would be splashed on the tabloids with the unnecessary headlines.

Being as a national celebrity, Aoi understood watching Mikan, was not easy. This did not however mean Mikan resented it in any way. Mikan loved her fans, and even said in an interview that this was the life she had always dreamt of, so now that she was there, she was in no way going to complain about her celebrity status. Mikan never let the 'celebrity status' get to her head, though. Never did she act with an edge of superiority; never did she make Aoi or the girls feel inferior – instead, Mikan tried to share the experience with her friends as much as she could. She shared the happy moments of being a celebrity with her friends (such as getting them all invited to premieres; getting them invited to parties, which they left early in order to go home and order pizza; opening and replying fan mail/letters; the release of her album, and the mini-party she had to celebrate its release) and Mikan ever shared the unhappy moments of being a celebrity with her friends too. To name a few; the constant pursuit of the paparazzi and their pressing desire to find out if Kaname and her were really an item; reading criticisms of people who were clearly _not _fans of her's; seeing bitchy comments about her by chance on the internet (about her voice, songs, weight and face); and, although this had become less common in 2010, the speculation and questions throw in her direction about Aoi's older brother and Mikan's past relationship.

Mikan's life had become a form of entertainment for some people.

Yes, Mikan was a national celebrity. But Aoi thought that people often forgot that Mikan was also a human being, just as everybody else, a human being that has feelings and needs privacy. A human being whose life should _not _be the entertainment, but instead a human being whose music should be the entertainment.

The release of Mikan's album stirred much talking, but the happiness Mikan felt when she had heard her songs being played on the radio was unimaginably overwhelming and muted out all the whispers behind her back. She loved her job, _a lot_, but it was all her friends that suggested for her to have a well-deserved break, and go back to Nagoya to her family for a month to relax. Aoi had received a post-card from her this morning, and as she took the train to Harajuku earlier, she couldn't help admire Mikan's strength and ability to smile and be optimistic even in days of stress or in days of unhappiness.

Aoi felt small to her amazing friends as she smudged her pencil lines with her forefinger. Anna and Nonoko's courage; Sumire's selflessness; Hotaru's unspoken consideration for other's and brilliance; Mikan's strength . . . and what did she have? Anna and Nonoko's strive in the business-world; Sumire helping other's before herself; Hotaru was respected by other's; Mikan was a _national _celebrity . . . and there _she _was, with her crappy job she hated and trying to get a degree in order to go into the most severe industry, the fashion industry, where the chances of actually becoming a recognised as a fashion designer were close to zero.

Aoi dropped her pencil down as she sighed. She rubbed her two eyes tiredly together but jumped in her seat when she heard her instructor, Professor Yamamoto, ask her from behind, "Tired, Aoi?"

"N-no!" was her immediate response, as she straightened up but after receiving a disbelieving look from her professor, Aoi sighed and with a tired smile truthfully answered, "Yes."

Sympathetically, Professor Yamamoto grinned at her, before she glanced at Aoi's sketch. "Mmm, I like that a lot, Aoi."

Aoi quickly felt appreciated and happy with herself, but then feeling sceptical all of a sudden, she raised her eyebrow and questioned, "Really?"

"Course I do!" Professor Yamamoto patted Aoi's back. "You know what you're lacking though?" Aoi bit her lip, fearing the worst, before she shook her head. "What you need is a bit of faith. In _yourself. _They're gonna eat your alive out there if you don't have believe in yourself, Aoi. You're so talented but for some reason the compliments you receive just _bounce _of you! You should _embrace _them! Absorb them!" Professor Yamamoto started to laugh at Aoi's surprised wide eyes – she was _not _expecting an inspirational, motivational speech from her professor at all. "Anyway, Aoi. Go home now – I think you need some rest—"

"But Professor—"

"_No_, buts. In fact, I _order _you to go home now. You've already designed me an amazing scarf, dress, earring _and_," she picked up the piece of paper on Aoi's desk, "coat for me tonight."

Aoi fumbled in vain to retrieve her sketch, "It's not finished yet though—"

"I'll be the ones adding the finishing touches on this coat, so get packing, Aoi."

Aoi sighed in defeat, before she looked at her professor in an appreciating manner. "Thank you."

"Go to sleep as soon as you get home, missy!"

Aoi gathered everything and stuffed them into the depth of her bag and then gave a thankful semi-bow to her lovely professor before she left the classroom.

Aoi yawned as she walked down the corridor of the University, half-inspecting all of the articles of the school and photos of catwalks as she bustled towards the exit. _Youichi's going to be happy_, she thought to herself, deciding after that thought that she wouldn't tell Youichi about this, instead she'd surprise him by coming home early.

Aoi was walking past the lobby, when something, a headline to be specific, caught her eyes. In the lobby, there were squashy armchairs and stout coffee tables, which always held up-to-date newspapers or magazines on them.

Walking slowly in the direction of the magazaine that made her stop of abruptly, Aoi inspected the two faces on the cover before she read the headline:

**Natsume Hyuuga writes song, **_**Just A Dream**_**, and gives it to rapper Mochu **(see page 7)

Aoi felt sterile and barren for a few seconds – she always felt like this when she saw _his _name and face in the newspaper or magazine or anywhere to be fair. The emotion of anger and hatred she felt towards her brother leveled out with the emotion of sadness and betrayal she felt towards him and these contrasting sentiments, is what she assumed, caused that void-emotion whenever she saw Natsume Hyuuga in print.

A voice in the back of her mind still nagged her – nagged Aoi that she should tell Mikan the events of the dinner she had with her family the day Natsume Hyuuga broke up with Mikan, but she dismissed this little voice in her head. _There's no point now, _she reminded herself, as she turned her back to the article and her brother's name, _Mikan's over that._ _No point bringing back bad memories. _

As she swung the doors open, Aoi was immediately enveloped by the humidity of Tokyo. She was only wearing a pair of shorts, and a cute tee-shirt but she still felt hot, and longed nothing more than to get back to her air-conditioned apartment.

Swinging her bag more comfortably on her shoulders, Aoi started to make her journey back home, taking in the clicks and clacks her shoes made when they came in contact with the asphalt.

After a few minutes, however, Aoi was aware that it was not only the slapping of her shoes she could hear – from closely behind her she heard advancing footsteps. Deciding to take a cautious glance behind her, Aoi's crimson eyes flickered behind her for a fraction of a second, only to see three bespectacled (with sunglasses) boys with their hoods up. Aoi's heart pace immediately quickened – after all, who wears _sunglasses _in the night? Immediately sensing her paranoid side kicking in, it was not only her heart pace that quickened by her pace itself—_Calm down, calm down! _She told herself, trying to ignore the fact that she could have sworn the boys' footsteps quickened as her's did. _Don't act stupidly—remember what Hotaru taught you! _

With that thought in mind, Aoi abruptly stopped in her tracks before she swung her handbag off her shoulder to start searching for something in her bag. She wasn't actually looking for anything—she merely wanted to see if the boys would simply walk past her now that she was immobile, but to Aoi's horror, when she glanced in their direction, the three boys seemed to have sprouted roots in their feet as they were stuck firmly to the ground, unmoving.

They were waiting for her to move, it seemed.

_Holy crap. I'm being followed. _

Sensibility and cautiousness flew at the window at that thought, and she did something that Hotaru told her _never _to do when being followed, as it would provoke the stalker(s).

Aoi Hyuuga started to _sprint _down the street.

_I should have called Youichi! And I should have listened to him—I should wear trainers instead of these flimsy excuses of shoes!_

Aoi started scream when she heard the thundering noises of running footsteps closely behind her—"HELP!" she desperately and rather hysterically cried. "I'M BEING—" Aoi didn't finish that sentence as at that point one of the boys had grabbed hold of her arms, bring her into a jerking stop.

Aoi reacted as any other girl would—she opened her mouth to let out an ear piercing scream (the road, although not a busy one, was a road that was lined with houses and apartments _so somebody_ was bound to hear her scream!) but the boy who had grabbed her arm seemed to have foreseen that she would react like this, and put his hand to her mouth.

Aoi struggled, a let out of (muffled) scream anyway, ignoring at first the boys' shouts, "Aoi! Calm down! It's _us!_" But then her eyes widened not in fear but in absolute shock when one of the boys took his sunglasses off and his hood down, to reveal a face she had not seen in two years in person – Ruka Nogi. Her screaming at this point ceased, and she watched with wide eyes as the other two hooded figures mimicked Ruka Nogi's action, to reveal two very familiar faces.

"K-Koko? Kitsune-me?"

Koko grinned, "Long time no see, huh?"

The three boys had not changed much in the past two years; Aoi noted in dark lamp-lit streets, if anything their faces had only become a bit more angular and masculine since she had last seen them in 2008. Briefly Aoi wondered whether they go see any changes in her, and as if reading her mind, Koko added, "You're looking good, Aoi."

Aoi was about to thank him before she fully realised and comprehended what had just happened a few seconds ago. Quickly, her defenses rose and she demanded, "What the hell were you three doing following me like that? You scared me so much!"

"Yeah, sorry about that." Kitsune-me sheepishly apologised. "We need to talk to you, so we waited around that college for you. We saw you leave and well, we weren't sure if it was really you at first – your hair is so long now – so we decide to trail you for a bit before we were 100% sure."

Aoi narrowed her eyes. What kind of an excuse was that?

"Well, think. What would have happened if we did go up to you and you weren't Aoi? Don't forget who we are." Kitsune-me had a fair point; _Crimson Abyss _was a nationally known band and that would explain why they had sunglasses on in the evening, really. "After you start screaming we recognised your voice and . . . yeah."

Aoi blinked. Their reasons were justified, fine, but then a bigger more significant question popped into her head. "_Why _though? Why do you need to talk to me?" She narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Ruka pointedly. "And _how _did you find out I have evening courses at Bunka?"

"Can we talk about this over a coffee or something?" Ruka evasively answered, as his blue eyes shifted to the houses, which had turned their lights on, obviously scared and curious about the screaming that had just happened a few minutes ago. "It's kind of important and it won't be done in a matter of minutes."

Aoi stared at Ruka before a frown marred her face. "Why should I give up my time up for you? If anything, you three are the last people I want to see right now, _especially _after my exhausting day."

Koko bit his lip in reply, looking slightly offended. Kitsune-me furrowed his eyebrows in response. Yet Ruka, who seemed to have guessed Aoi would react like this calmly answered, "I know you hate us, for obvious reasons as a friend's enemy is an enemy but please. Please hear us out."

Aoi continued to stare at him, in attempt to pick up subtle body language, but when she caught the pleading look in Ruka's eye, she sighed in defeat. "I suppose I could use a coffee. I suppose I could also help out an old friend."

"Thank you."

**.0.**

Aoi found herself in a dark café in Shinjuku fifteen minutes after she agreed to talk to the three boys about _something important. _Seventeen minutes later, she had found herself in the café with a frothy cappuccino in front of her. Slowly, she reached for two sugar packets – she ripped, and poured the sugar, she ripped and poured – before she tentatively stirred her cap.

To say the atmosphere between them was awkward was an understatement. The boys' had not ordered anything, therefore did not have anything to distract themselves with so they resorted into watching Aoi stir, which made her feel extremely uneasy. Unable to deal with the silent stares and palpable awkwardness, Aoi urged, "Well? Why I am here when I could be having a nice home-made dinner at home?"

"Homemade?" Koko questioned. "You can't cook."

"No, but Youichi can."

"Youichi?" Kitsune-me echoed, tilting his head to the side but then, recognition suddenly struck him like thunder, "Youichi _Hijiri? _From the Academy?" Kitsune-me's mouth fell open. "You _live _with him?"

Aoi shrugged before informing them, "Well I've been going out with him since November . . ."

Even Ruka was surprised at this information, and it made him sad to think of how little he actually knew of the present day Aoi.

Kitsune-me seemed unsure how to respond to that, and resorted in congratulating Aoi. Aoi, finding this mildly humourous, grinned, "It's not I'm pregnant with his baby, or getting married, Kitsune-me. But thanks anyway."

She sipped her drink, before she looked directly in each boys' eyes; Koko's brown ones, Kitsune-me's small ones and Ruka's blue ones . . . "In all seriousness, please tell me why I am here." She put her cup down. "Tell me why you even had to facebook stalk me; tell me why after _years _of not talking to me you three are finally talking to me – tell me why—"

"It's about Natsume." Ruka blurted out, interrupting her.

Aoi sucked in some breath, "Well, I figured that much. Must be pretty damn important too, as you three actually _came_ to me for once . . ."

She was using the guilt card, something she had wanted to do for a very long time but when Aoi saw the somber and defeated looks on their faces in response to her statement, she felt a bit bad. They really did look troubled, and in the café (despite it being dark), she could their faces were lined with haggard emotions. Aoi didn't want to hurt them, nor did she want them to suffer obviously. But this was not about her, or them – it was about her brother. And she wasn't so sure whether she felt the same with Natsume . . . "Look, I'm sorry I said that but I just want to make it clear that I don't really want to get involved in Natsume's affairs anymore. I haven't spoken to him in two years, and I think I want to keep it that way—"

"You _think_ you want to?" Koko picked up on that. "You think? So you don't actually a hundred percent _want _to not interfere right, right?"

"I'm not in the mood for this, Kokoroyomi." Aoi sharply answered uncharacteristically. She let the tension diffuse a bit before she continued, "All you three and I know my reasons why I am acting this way. Natsume is not my business anymore."

"Would it be your business if I tell you that he's slowly killing himself?"

Slowly Aoi raised her eyes to meet Ruka's serious gaze. "What did you say?"

He repeated, just as deathly calmly as before, "Natsume is slowly killing himself."

Aoi, in hope to see Koko and Kitsune-me laugh at that statement, turned to look at the two friends but when she see all that was painted on their faces were grim expressions, her mouth opened and closed like a fish who had just been scooped out of the depth of the sea.

"B-But – what? _Killing _himself?" Aoi repeated. "What do you mean? Has he attempted . . ." she could not bring herself to say the word suicide. Her heart was pounding; sweat was starting to bead in all the nooks and crannies of her body; she felt dizzy and whenever she blinked from then on, she could see Natsume behind her eyelids.

Natsume,_ killing himself?_

"No!" Kitsune-me explained. "It's not . . ." his face twisted, "as simple as that."

"Simple as that? Oh, it's not as simple as him committing suicide? What's that supposed to mean?" Aoi demanded, her sisterly senses resurrecting after being dead for two years. "What do you _mean? _Tell me!" Koko shushed Aoi, and tried to calm her hysteria down but Aoi was adamant and ardent to know what they boys had meant by Kitsune-me's statement.

"To simply start, Natsume is still in love with Mikan." Ruka informed Aoi, whose eyes widened. Bits of her face started to twitch, before her wide eyes snapped shut and Aoi started to furiously blink (at least thrice in a second). Her gaze was moving from all over the place – from the floor, to Ruka, to the table, to her cappuccino, to Kitsune-me, to her bag, to Koko and back to the ceiling again. After a few seconds when this reaction subsided, Aoi sunk down in her chair and let out a bottled up breath.

She couldn't articulate anything. She couldn't speak.

"Ever since we've graduated, slowly but surely in our eyes at least, Natsume's going a bit . . . off the rails." Ruka continued. "He – He _uses _regularly now," and by that, Aoi quickly understood that it meant drugs, "and it's not just shit like weed but you know . . . just trust me Aoi, if you just _see _what he looks like you'll understand better."

_Drugs? . . . _

Aoi leaned in unconsciously desperate all of a sudden to know more despite her initial desire of wanting to know nothing.

"He's in the house all the time," Koko added, with a worried expression, "always brooding. Of course, there are times when he seems okay but – " he groaned, frustrated he couldn't explain the situation better to Aoi. "Natsume's definitely depressed, but he won't speak to us."

"When . . ." Ruka thickly swallowed before he directly looked at Aoi in the eye, "you know, the fire happened on the fifteenth birthday," Aoi bit her lip as in the back of her mind, orange flames started to lick up her memories, "he dealt with in a really . . . inward way. And we're not saying that that was a better way to deal with his trauma he felt from it as that was, well, that _is _the main root of his problems and behaviour today but . . ." Ruka clenched and unclenched his fist. "After everything that happened, Natsume built a wall up – he somewhat numbed his emotions and changed who he was to get rid of that _guilt_, but then Mikan came and knocked down that wall." Aoi felt tears welling in her eyes all of a sudden. "He can't build it up anymore." Ruka quietly said, "Natsume's all over the place. To an extent he is still dealing with trauma of nearly losing you and losing Mikan in an inward way because he won't tell us anything – he won't speak to us of his deep down emotions . . . but actions speak louder than words."

Aoi nodded, as she wiped the corners of her eyes with the tips of her fingers. She had guessed, but until today she never a hundred percent knew that Natsume had indeed changed so drastically in order to block his past.

From then, it seemed Natsume always ran away from his problems – shielding them with walls, in vain to cut the world away from him . . .

"Therapy's out of the question with Natsume, too." Kitsune-me sighed heavily. "When Yuu suggested it to him, Natsume nearly punched him in the face. He . . . He won't accept anything is wrong with him and—" he exchanged looks with his friends before he confessed, "Natsume is sort of obsessed with Mikan." Aoi's eyes snapped in Kitsune-me's direction, and her expression itself was urging him to expand on that point. "He googles her; he follows her career; he _hates _Sono Kaname but he won't ever talk about her in front of us . . . except for last night . . ."

"The point is," it was Ruka's turn to speak now and he concluded: "Natsume's still in love with Mikan."

Aoi stayed silent for at least twenty seconds as she tried very hard to digest all of this in. Shakily taking a small sip of her lukewarm cappuccino she managed to comprehend everything the boys had just told her. Then, her emotions finally kicked in.

"What do you want me to do about that though?"

"E-Excuse me?"

"What do you want me to do?" Aoi repeated, her teary look now completely dried up. "Okay, fine Natsume's still in love with Mikan but what am I supposed to do about that? Am I supposed to say, 'awwww, that's so sweet! Let me just go tell Mikan so they can live happily ever after!'" Koko winced at her forced saccharine voice that vaguely reminded him of that loony Luna Koizumi from back in the Academy. "Because I _won't. _And in case all three of you go amnesia, I'm going to remind you that it was _him _that broke up with _her. Him _that told _her _they were over. And the fact that you're telling me he stills loves her makes it seem as he was never not in love with her, which is _ridiculous _because if he did love her he wouldn't have broken up with her in the first place!"

"Aoi—"

"_And_," she continued with such ferocity, "you're all completely disregarding Mikan and her feelings! You're making it sound as if you want me to get them back together but newsflash, newsflash! Mikan would _never _get back with Natsume! After all, _Mikan does not love Natsume anymore_."

All three boys were not concealing their surprise they received from that statement. "B-But," Koko interrupted, "her album! It's _all _about Natsume—"

"Have you been playing Detective, huh? Analysing the meanings of each of her songs?" Aoi cruelly interrupted with a mean glint in her eyes. "You can't just assume Mikan still loves Natsume just by her album because she _started _it in 2008, just after everything happened. Most of her songs were written in 2008, with the exception of two; they were only _released _this year and but you," she nastily started to laugh, "_all of you_ have done exactly what the press has done after her album release. Speculation, guesswork and assumption. All done without facts and evidence."

"So . . . everything the press has been saying about Kaname and Mikan being secretly together . . . is true?" Kitsune-me asked. "Mikan loves Kaname?"

Aoi scowled. "There you go again with your assumptions!"

Koko gasped, "So Mikan doesn't love Kaname, then?"

"I didn't say that, did I!"

"Well, Mikan _has _to still be in love with Natsume then! Because if she wasn't then she would be going out with Kaname right now!"

"Enough with your assumptions!" Aoi angrily replied, her crimson eyes ablaze. "And let me make this clear: Mikan is _not_, and I repeat, _not _in love with Natsume anymore! And just because she doesn't love Natsume anymore doesn't mean she is now in love with Kaname! It doesn't work like that! But get it into your heads; Mikan is not in love with Natsume anymore! In fact, she told me last year she wonders whether what she felt for Natsume really was love—"

"Yes it was!" Koko vehemently interrupted, burning his eyes into Aoi, "We witnessed it, and it was as real! Real just like how I can see you now!"

Aoi continued as if she didn't hear Koko however, "and just because she is not romantically linked with Sono does _not _give you the right to assume she still loves Natsume! In fact, it doesn't give you the right to assume anything at _all! _It's her life, not yours, mate. And her album, which is the invalid source of your assumptions was actually her _closure_ from Natsume; it was not a form of confession that stated she still loved him after these two years. She's over him."

The three boys had genuinely thought that Mikan was still in love with Natsume, so Aoi's words were a big shock and revelation to them, and cut them deeply. Of course, not in a good way at all.

Aoi, noting the startled looks on their faces after her exclamation, let out a bottled up breath before running three fingers through her long back hair, she said, "I went too far. I'm sorry." The boys did not respond to her apology and Aoi acted by getting her purse out of her bag. "Look. I don't know how I can help. Natsume has to deal with this himself – not me, or you three. It's his mess to clean up."

"Is it?" Ruka echoed in a hollow voice, his eyes slightly unfocused. "Is it really?"

Aoi furrowed her eyebrows.

"Aoi." Ruka called, as he finally looked back at her. "I think you know something that we all don't know about Natsume."

"What?" Aoi questioned, confused. "What are you talking about?"

"That day," Ruka egged on, while the boys all leaned in. "the day they broke up . . . you had lunch with your family . . ."

_Mr. Hyuuga on the other hand did not seemed impressed. At all. In fact, he looked even __more __disgruntled at Aoi's account of Natsume's girlfriend. "Well," his voice was cynical and cruel, "one must then question what a __great __girl like her is doing with an __irresponsible __boy like Natsume. Surely she deserves better?"_

Aoi blinked rapidly. "I-I did . . ."

"What happened?" Kitsune-me asked. "Because if we're not mistaken it's after that lunch everything went disastrously wrong."

Aoi opened her mouth before she closed it. This information, she was about to release, was something that had been bottled up within her for reasons for two years now. Was she really going to spill the beans for these three boys, moreover, for her fucked up brother?

"My father found out about Mikan that lunch," she quietly confessed – her mouth was moving before she could even stop herself. The boys, with widened eyes, all looked at each other. "A-And after I told my family how great she was, my father . . . he questioned why such a _great _girl like Mikan was going out with Natsume . . ."

Koko groaned.

"Dick." swore Kitsune-me.

Ruka closed his eyes and held his head between his hands for a few seconds.

"He said Mikan deserved better." Aoi concluded.

"And he _believed _that?" Koko incredulously questioned, surprising them all by his sudden outburst. "He really thought he was unworthy of Mikan just because his bastard of a father said so? Natsume really is—"

"You know how much effect Mr. Hyuuga has on Natsume." Ruka darkly interrupted, throwing Koko a dour look, "Most of his songs are written about his father after all. He _is _what he today – a fucked up misfit – " Aoi winced at the harsh judgment, "because of his father. And as much as he hates him, Natsume can't defy him, not only because he's scared of him but also because of what happened on his birthday."

"Guilt." Kitsune-me simply and grimly explained.

"Exactly."

Silence ensued, and the boys, despite their prickling anger towards Mr. Hyuuga, were somewhat glad that they had heard the truth at last as now it left them with facts.

"Even so," Aoi shattered the pensive silence; "you can't put all the blame on my father. It was Natsume who broke up with Mikan after all, not my father."

Ruka kept his head down for a few seconds after her statement, which he allowed to roll around in his mind, before a thought occurred to him. He snapped his neck up suddenly, and gazed at Aoi with his blue eyes before he asked, "Did you by any chance tell Mikan, or any of the other girls about what happened at lunch that day?"

"No." Aoi truthfully answered, and tried to ignore the looks' on the boys' face in response to her reply. "I didn't."

. . .

"ARGH!" Aoi jumped in her seat at Koko's sudden strangled cry of frustration in reply to her confession. "Why didn't you– what! _No!"_

"What in the world—" Aoi stopped midsentence as Koko had now seized her shoulders frantically, inducing a surprised gasp from her.

"You should have told them the truth!" Koko uncharacteristically cried right in front of Aoi's shocked face. "You hypocrite – you lecture us how bad it is to assume, but you not telling your friends prevented them from the truth and also made it liable for them _to _assume things, _just because you didn't tell the truth!_"

"I never_ lied _to them!" Aoi shot back, freeing herself from Koko, who both a worried Kitsune-me and Ruka pulled back into his own seat. "_Never!_ Besides," she spat, as she felt colour rise to her cheeks – colour that could rival with her eyes, "even if I did tell them they wouldn't have seen it to be relevant because none of them know how much influence my father has over Natsume anyway—"

Koko started to laugh hollowly, "Oh but that's just it, Aoi. That's just _it. _Because for your information," he viciously snapped, "_Mikan Sakura _was very much aware of the influence your father has over Natsume!"

Aoi's eyes widened.

"Koko, calm down—"

"Don't tell me to calm down, Ruka!" Koko growled. "Or you, Kitsune-me! Because all of this could have been prevented if she—" he accusingly thrusted a curled finger in Aoi's direction, "had told them what happened!"

"What do you mean by Mikan knowing?" Aoi demanded, her pitch frequency intensifying, her voice amplifying too. "What does she know? How does she know—"

"Natsume told her _everything _when they were going out." Koko admitted through gritted teeth.

Aoi's heartbeat fastened. "E-Everything?"

All of sudden, the world seemed to orbiting slower for Aoi. All of a sudden she felt quite queasy.

Kitsune-me nodded, looking at Aoi, whose colour by now had drained out and looked a deathly white. "Everything." He confirmed, and his voice much softer than Koko's. "Natsume told Mikan about your dad, Aoi. Who he is, what he did . . . and what Natsume did on his fifteenth birthday party and how you nearly died."

Fresh tears were welling up into Aoi's eyes. "He . . . Natsume told her?" Not once, not _once _had Mikan ever given the impression that she knew about her dark family secret – not _once _had she mentioned it, even uttered a word about it to her . . . Mikan knew? She knew about her father's hatred towards music; she knew about what Natsume did on his fifteenth; she knew about Aoi's near-death experience; she knew about Persona and her father's deal, then? "Natsume told her _everything_?"

"Yes." Ruka solemnly confirmed, before he started to explain, "One night, in 2008 . . . it was winter, Natsume got _really _drunk and came back home at three in the morning." Aoi, despite wondering vaguely how this was relevant, leant in, desperate to know more. "And," Ruka exchanged grim looks with his friends, "whilst we tried to put him in bed, Natsume confessed to us in his state of drunkenness that he had told Mikan the truth about everything. That's how we found out ourselves."

". . . But Natsume was really drunk!" Aoi pointed out, trying desperately to find flaws in the boys' explanation as tears streaked down her face. She couldn't help cry for some reason; the tears kept coming, and they kept falling . . . "He could have been delusional from the alcoho—"

"If alcohol does anything to Natsume, it makes me open up. Not to mention, Mikan seemed to have guessed something occurred in your family anyway—"

"What do you mean?"

Kitsune-me started to recount something that had happened the morning after the Third Round of the Alice Academy music competition to Aoi . . .

_Before Koko could __fully __finish his sentence, Natsume spoke. But his voice was stony. "Did anyone tell __her __about . . . three years ago?"_

_The room, after his was totally engulfed in silence._

"There's no doubt he told her." Koko added, his tone of voice much less aggressive, ending his statement of with a sigh. "Mikan knew and Aoi – you never saw them together. If you knew what I knew, if you'd only _seen _what I've seen . . . then you would not doubt it either." The boys all grinned at each other as nostalgia coursed through the veins – happy memories of 2008 were swirling in the boys mind; such as the time when Mikan decided to clean Natsume's room without his permission; the times when they saw Natsume pick Mikan up from the couch so he could sit down, only to throw Mikan back on top of him; the times when they saw Natsume plaiting Mikan's hair, as she wrote songs; the times when Natsume would stalk up to her from behind before wrapping his arms around her; the times they all watched football together – Mikan thought that her team had scored and started to cheer before she was told it was the other team that just scored; the times when they found Mikan and Natsume together on the laptop, looking at apartments; the time when Natsume told Ruka not to wash his pillow-case because it smelt of Mikan; the times when Natsume forced Mikan to wear his hoodie—

"Oh my God," Aoi abruptly stopped their train of happy memories, as she clasped her hand to her mouth. "That's why Mikan was so . . ."

"So what?" Ruka asked, as Aoi had trailed off. "Mikan was what?"

Aoi fanned herself for three seconds before she herself before she started to explain her side of the story, "Mikan always seemed to know something _we_ didn't know about Natsume – I mean, I suppose I did know, but I didn't know she knew about that something we didn't know about Natsume – am I making sense?" Aoi restarted the act of fanning herself before she uttered anything else. All this was too much for one night. Finding out Natsume was slowly killing himself; finding out Natsume was still deeply in love with Mikan to the extent he's becoming a bit obsessed with her; finding out Mikan knew the truth about her family's past . . . "A-And if I had only _know _she knew about the secret I would've told her about that dinner and then . . . and then . . ."

"Aoi." Koko gently said, as Aoi put her head in her hands, finally understanding then and there the gravity of the situation. "Despite my initial stupid insinuation, it isn't your fault. You didn't know that Mikan knew. That's not your fault." Ruka nodded, whilst Kitsune-me started to pat Aoi's back.

"No wonder Mikan felt like she had such a . . . _connection _with Natsume," Aoi softly whispered, "he told her something he had never told anybody else. No wonder she thought he genuinely did love her."

"And he still does." Ruka stated, firmly. "More than you can imagine.

The headline she had seen at Bunka trickled into the surface of her mind – Natsume had co-wrote a song for Mochu, was it? Was it a love song? Was it a song about Mikan?

Aoi stayed silent for a while and then she heard Ruka's voice say, "You asked us what we wanted you to do with this information, right?" Aoi stayed quiet, she just nodded. "We want Natsume and Mikan to meet again."

Aoi snapped her head up immediately, as if it was a reflex action.

"We understand that Mikan doesn't love him back anymore," Ruka quickly said, before Aoi could say anything, "We're not asking you to force Mikan to fall in love with him again. Aoi, we're asking you whether you could give Natsume a chance to apologize to Mikan."

"We think it'll help him get his closure." Koko added truthfully. "He needs to move on too. And if that means the first step is to talk it out with Mikan, then we want that to happen."

"It can be for five minutes!" Kitsune-me desperately interjected. "Just five minutes!"

The boys patiently waited for Aoi to say something – _anything _– so when she did speak, they held their breaths. "You do realise what you're asking me to do is a _really _big thing?"

They all nodded in sync.

"You three can't forget that this is the boy that left Mikan in the morning and smashed her heart on the same day."

Ruka pressed his lips together; Koko _prayed_; Kitsune-me held his kneecaps tightly under the coffee table. "Is that a no then?" Ruka asked, unable to wait for an answer any longer. His voice was rather emotionless, but his eyes were so deep with sentiments Aoi felt she would drown in them if she gazed at them for too long.

"No." Aoi finally answered. "No, it doesn't mean no."

Immediately, grateful grins directed at Aoi spread across the boys' faces like a cube of butter on a frying pan however it came to a halt when Aoi added, "It doesn't mean a yes either."

Kitsune-me furrowed his eyebrows and voiced out the boys' confusion on Aoi's answers. "It doesn't mean yes or no? What does _that _mean?"

"It means I won't be the only one to decide whether Natsume can meet Mikan or not." She looked at each of the boys' faces. "You may have got me to agree, but I am not letting you three or Natsume for that matter anywhere near Mikan before you get permission from the other girls."

"By the other girls . . ." Koko slowly said, before he gulped – menacing violet eyes burned into his mind – "you mean . . ."

"Anna and Nonoko. Sumire Shouda. And yes," she pointedly looked at Koko, as if she had read his mind, "Hotaru Imai."

The boys all inwardly groaned at the last one. They knew she was going to be a hard egg to crack, but when they remembered that this was for Natsume and his own good, they reckoned speaking to the deranged and frightful Hotaru Imai was worth Natsume's sanity.

"That's fine." Ruka nodded three blinks later, "Fine. So, when can we speak to them?"

Aoi cupped her chin with her left hand in thought before swept her eyes intently across them as she answered, "Tomorrow. At my place, at 9:00pm."

**.0.**

(page 7)  
**Natsume Hyuuga writes song, **_**Just A Dream**_**, and gives it to rapper Mochu**

Despite rapper Mochu's denial that Natsume Hyuuga _wrote _the song, 'Just A Dream', feelings of suspicions can't help but arise. "I'm not going to lie – Natsume did _help _me write it. He co-wrote my single and that's it."  
Rapper Mochu expressed his annoyance of the press' excitement for this news (of Natsume helping Mochu write the single) on his twitter, claiming it is 'no biggie', however, whilst Mochu's other songs seem to link in with his current affairs, 'Just A Dream' (a song about regretting a break-up), does not seem to apply with his life as his other songs do, especially considering the fact Mochu is currently dating long-term girlfriend, Yuki Michibata. The lyrics seem more relevant to Natsume Hyuuga's personal affairs and past with national star, Mikan Sakura. Some critics have even voiced out whether if it was really Hyuuga who co-wrote 'Just A Dream' not the other way around. "The tune of course is very Mochu," Kota Yamanaka comments, who is one of the critics who firmly believes in this theory of Mochu co-writing his own released single, "everything in the song, except for essence of the lyrics, clearly belongs to him. I'm assuming he (Mochu) has tweaked the lyrics at parts (such as the addition of words such as 'shawty') to make it seem more justified that he wrote it, but this song does not fool my eyes."  
Fans of Mochu however are just are outraged as Mochu himself about the scepticism his single is receiving – even fellow musicians have openly expressed their disapproval on the attention 'Just A Dream' is getting. "Who cares who wrote the lyrics," fellow Japanese rapper, 40 Cents remarks, "the point is, it's a damn good song. And even if Natsume Hyuuga wrote the song, he certainly has no problem Mochu singing it – so y'all shouldn't have a problem with it either. Songs are not made for people to analyse like Shakespeare's works – no, songs are made to make people feel emotions the singer is feeling, and the feeling 'Just A Dream' evokes is about regretting a break-up, so there is no reason why feelings of sceptism should arise from this song. Just sayin'."  
Justified or not? Tell us what you think.

-16th July, 2010  
_Check out the lyrics below:_

**Just A Dream  
Mochu**

I was thinking about her  
Thinking bout me  
Thinkin bout us  
What we gunna be?  
Open my eyes,  
it was only just a dream...

So I travel back  
down that road  
Will she come back?  
No one knows  
I realize  
It was only just a dream.

I was at the top and now its like I'm in the basement  
Number 1 spot,  
Now she find her a replacement  
I swear now I can't take it  
Knowing somebody's got my baby

Now you ain't around, baby I can't think  
I shoulda put it down, shoulda got that ring  
Cuz I can still feel it in the air  
See her pretty face, run my fingers through her hair

My love of my life, My shawty, my wife  
She left me, I'm tied.  
Cuz I knew that it just ain't right

I was thinking about her  
Thinking bout me  
Thinkin bout us  
What we gunna be?  
Open my eyes,  
it was only just a dream...

So I travel back  
down that road  
Will she come back?  
No one knows  
I realize  
It was only just a dream.

When I be ridin' man I swear I see your face at every turn  
Trying to get my usher on but I can't let it burn  
And I just hope she know that she the only one I yearn for  
More and more, I miss her, when will I learn?  
Didn't give her all my love  
I guess now I got my payback

Now I'm in the club thinking all about my baby  
Hey, she was so easy to love  
But wait, I guess that love wasn't enough  
I'm going through it every time that I'm alone  
And now I'm wishin', wishin' she'd pick up the phone  
But she made a decision that she wanted to move on  
Cause I was wrong.

I was thinking about her  
Thinking bout me  
Thinkin bout us  
What we gunna be?  
Open my eyes,  
it was only just a dream...

So I travel back  
down that road  
Will she come back?  
No one knows  
I realize  
It was only just a dream.

If you ever loved somebody put your hands up  
If you ever loved somebody put your hands up  
And now they're gone and you wish you could give them everything

If you ever loved somebody put your hands up  
If you ever loved somebody put your hands up  
And now they're gone and you wish you could give them everything . . .

I was thinking about her  
Thinking bout me  
Thinkin bout us  
What we gunna be?  
Open my eyes,  
it was only just a dream...

So I travel back  
down that road  
Will she come back?  
No one knows  
I realize  
It was only just a dream.

I was thinking about her  
Thinking bout me  
Thinkin bout us  
What we gunna be?  
Open my eyes,  
it was only just a dream...

So I travel back  
down that road  
Will she come back?  
No one knows  
I realize  
It was only just a dream.

**.0.**

**End of Chapter Thirty Six**

**.0.**


	41. From High To Low

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Gakuen Alice.

**.0.**

**My Happy Ending**  
_**by Little Miss Giggle**_

**.0.**

**Chapter Thirty Seven: From High To Low**

**.0.**

_It´s been so quiet since you´ve gone  
And every day feels more like a year  
Sometimes I wish I could move on  
The memories would all just disappear_

_So many things I should've  
Said when I had the chance  
So many times we took it all for granted_

_- _The Best Years Of Our Lives  
Evan Taubenfeld feat. Avril Lavigne

_**.**_**0.**

_**Messages – **__**Compose New Message**_  
_To: Sumire; Anna; Nonoko; Hotaru  
There's something I should have told you. Please, please, please meet me at my apartment tomorrow at eight. I have something important to tell you all._

_**Send**__** – Don't Send**_

_**. . . Message Sent**_

**.0.**

When the boys arrived home that night to their apartment, they were welcomed by the sleepy Hachi (who after giving a kiss to Ruka went back to his little cot) they were mildly surprised once they entered the living room. The television was on and with his back facing them; Natsume seemed to be watching the late evening news. The three boys all glanced at each other, their eyes all containing the same message that they'd promise not to tell Natsume what they had just agreed on an hour ago with Aoi Hyuuga.

"It's for his own good." Ruka had assured the other two, as they boarded the JR line back home. "We're doing the right thing. It'd just be better we only tell him after we speak to the other three girls."

After throwing the keys onto a coffee table, Ruka joined Natsume on the sofa with the other two following closely behind him. "Hey, Natsume." Ruka greeted, as he turned to his best mate, who, Ruka only noticed then, was actually asleep. His back had been so rigid from behind the boys had completely failed to even notice such thing before.

"He's asleep." Ruka commented, as he looked at the other two, before he looked back at his friend. His friend's breathing was shallow and generally fast-paced, and whilst Koko and Kitsune-me made their ways to the kitchen to get drinks, Ruka just continued to watch his friend. He realized it was creepy, that he was watching his friend so intently, but . . . Natsume just looked so _bad. _Sallow skin, roughly dotted with untidy and uneven stubble and even a smoker's line was starting to form around his lips. It was because of _this_, and his inexplicably dark attitude that convinced Ruka that he was indeed doing the right thing, talking to Aoi.

He wasn't going to give up on his best friend.

Natsume suddenly jerked in his sleep, which in turn caused him to wake up, revealing his bloody-shot eyes, eerily giving the impression that his eyes were just diabolically red, only his pupil a different colour.

He blinked, and looked to Ruka. "Oh. Hey."

Ruka smiled at his friend. "You alright?"

It had been a bit awkward between them, since the boys' outburst at Natsume last night but being twenty meant they no longer held these petty grudges like one would have done at the age of sixteen.

Natsume nodded. On cue, the other two reentered into the living room with their drinks – Heineken beers – they held one for Ruka, but to Natsume they passed him a 250ml Tropicana orange juice bottle. "You need to cut down, right?" was Koko's excuse, and Natsume took no offense for it. Instead, he gratefully took the drink.

Screwing his cap open, "Where did you guys go?"

Koko and Kitsune-me keep their lips on the nozzle to their glass bottles, both deciding to let Ruka make something up.

"The gym." Ruka simply said. "We took showers there." He added, catching Natsume's dubious glance at their attire. It was vital that Natsume not know their plan for the time being – he might do something rash, ultimately destroying it – it was already unstable and volatile plan to begin with, and Natsume finding out might as well make it null.

Natsume stayed quite at Ruka's reply, and drank his orange juice quite like a young boy. But then, once he swallowed the last drop and after he had thrown his empty bottle in the bin, Natsume solemnly said, "I have something to tell you."

The three boys didn't miss a second to look at him with questioning and worried eyes.

"Before . . . while you guys were out," Natsume continued, "I got a call from Persona." The three's reactions all differed facially, but instead they all felt that what Natsume was to say next was something they had all feared for the past two years. Then, Natsume made their nightmare come true: "Persona's threatening to drop us."

"Shit!" Koko cried, throwing his neck back into the sofa's headrest. Both Ruka and Kitsume-ne thought exactly the same thing, yet they kept their eyes upon Natsume, who rested his weight on his elbows on his knees, leaning forward on the sofa.

"He's not happy with us." Natsume added, yet corrected his words quickly. "I mean with me. He's not happy with me."

The boys didn't say anything to that, as despite their loyalty to Natsume all of them, including he himself knew, that he was the root of the problems. _Crimson Abyss_' lack of input was Natsume Hyuuga's fault, and that was no secret to Persona. Persona had had great plans for them; he envisioned that after their graduation from the Academy they'd soar into the real world. He believed that the years at the Academy would have fed their desire to be the biggest band in Japan, no, _Asia_. He expected an album by the end of 2008. He had such big plans for them, for _Crimson Abyss_ – after all he had dirtily been supplying money to Takeshi Hyuuga, _large _sums of money so they could cover up that Hyuuga boy's bloodied reputation – he was willing to do that with him money because he was so certain that _Crimson Abyss _would be able to make fifty times more than what he had given away.

So how did Persona react when he heard this band, this band he had so much hope for, this band he had given _money_ away for were not doing what he expected? When he heard that Natsume Hyuuga had become a mere shadow that seemed to be dead more so than alive?

Livid was an understatement.

Especially when he got a wind of the tabloid of this big-googoo-eyed girl called _Mikan Sakura _who was, in angry fans' point of view, the reason why Natsume was not doing his job.

Persona was disgusted at that.

Yet he gave them – Natsume Hyuuga – a chance to redeem themselves, but once the two calenders were put away in the bin to rot and 2010 came, Persona's patience was mere milimetres from rock-bottom.

July 2010 came and his last resort came into action.

"He's threatening to pull the plug." Natsume concluded.

Finally Ruka looked up. "But Natsume, that means—"

Natsume nodded. "I know. If he does the whole thing will be out of the bag." Calling _it _a _thing _gave an impression that _it _was insignificant ironically, and the Hyuuga Family's secret was not anywhere near insignificant as the word _thing_ made out it to be. Silence lapsed among them for a few seconds as they thought of the consequences of this pulling of the plug. If the truth about Natsume's fifteenth birthday will come out, and in a country like Japan, were the actions of a singer are constantly scrutinised, who knows how long they'd survive after something like that come into the open? A mere seconds at the most. With this in mind, the three confirmed internally and individually that they really had to change Natsume, get him back on track or else.

Persona was playing dirty – he was not threatening to drop them, he was _blackmailing _to do what he wanted.

"Persona's only _threatening _us at the moment." Kitsune-me slowly said. "So it's not he'd thrown us into the rubbish bin yet." His tone was optimistic. "Natsume – call him – we can negotiate something, tell him that we'll be done with an album by the end of the year!"

Koko supported this: "Yeah, we can do it! We still got six months left of the year – if we _all _put a hundred percent into it, we can do it. I know we can. Like we said, right? We decided we'd do this anyway!" All their eyes rested upon Natsume, waiting for his answer.

Natsume just stared blankly ahead of him for a few seconds, before he shifted to retrieve a cigarette and his lighter from the back pockets of his jeans. He slipped the cigarette between his lips, and spoke through his parted lips as he lighted it: "Don't you think it's funny?"

"Funny?" Ruka furrowed his eyebrows at both Natsume's statement and at the smell the swirling fumes of the cigarette brought about. Natsume inhaled. And with a slow exhale the boys watched Natsume put his filled-with-stubs-of-ciggies-to-the-brim ashtray, which sat on the coffee table in front, onto his lap. "What could possibly be funny?"

"It's just so bloody hilarious to think of my father's thoughts right now." The mention of Takeshi Hyuuga had been a taboo for the boys ever since they were fifteen, and here Natsume was, mentioning him so casually in a conversation at the age of twenty, "It's just ironic, isn't it? My father wanted nothing more than for me to quit music all those years ago, but now I bet he's praying to God that I would continue just so his reputation won't be tarnished." Natsume took his cigarette from his mouth as his humourlessly chuckled. "Oh, the irony."

Ruka just swallowed as he watched his best friend's dead laugh at something that was clearly destroying Natsume from the inside out. Koko kept his eyes on the floor, and Kitsune-me opted the 'wow-my-fingers-are-suddenly-so-interesting' routine to keep himself preoccupied. Natsume had made them feel awkward and tongue-tied for so long now.

They all knew Natsume had a point._ Oh, the irony_ indeed. But they knew better to touch upon that subject, despite the fact that Natsume himself for once brought it up.

Once Natsume's lifeless laughter died down nothing but the sound of the television surrounded them – the occasional sound of Natsume's breathy exhales and inhales of were heard too, but they were so very quiet.

Seconds turned to minutes, and this silence continued to encase them until Natsume's cigarette was crushed into the ashtray, blending in with the other mutilated ashy stubs. "Guys." His serious crimson eyes fleeting amongst them. "I was thinking . . ."

. . . . . . .

Koko's jaw fell open.

Kitsune-me's tiny eyes managed to pop open he was so surprised at Natsume's proposal.

"What . . ." Ruka looked at his best friend, shocked, only to see in Natsume's eyes that he was a hundred percent sincere and serious about what he had just said.

**.0.**

Photo albums were some of the things Hotaru Imai had forgotten existed thus they were the last box to be unpacked in her and Mikan's new flat. Mikan had given Hotaru her full permission to arrange their flat exactly the way Hotaru wanted it to be (though she knew she would have been the one to arrange it even if Mikan _was _there as she was so precise) before her depature, and Hotaru took that to heart. Hotaru was proud of her arrangements – originally she got some movers to help her, but their fingerprints staining her cups displeased her, and characteristically Hotaru dismissed them all, as she knew quite well that she could probably do a better job than them.

Besides, they didn't seem to understand simple instructions such as, "Three milimetres to the left please."

It was late when Hotaru had neatly finished arranging the mentioned photo albums on the shelf that evening, and when was she did finish, Hotaru simply dusted her hands on her sleep black jeans. She had feared that there would not be enough space on their shelf to hold all their photo albums but Hotaru Imai gets what she wants and she wanted all of the damn albums on that shelf.

Smugly, Hotaru smiled.

She was satisfied, especially as that really was the _last_ box, and then her thoughts shifted to the crab-ice cream that sat in the fridge as her treat and with that delicious thought in mind, Hotaru turned around.

Yet as Hotaru turned, a certain label on the spine on the album that read _2008 _caught her eyes like a hook. Pausing with one foot in the air, Hotaru blinked.

_2008?_

She couldn't believe she hadn't noticed it whilst she was unpacking, and just like that, the thoughts of 2008 dispelled the crab ice-cream from her mind, and before she knew it, she was standing in front of the shelf that she had just finished filling up with photo albums.

Hotaru heaved the heavy photo album labeled "2008" out of her shelf, and immediately plonked it down into the couch. She blew the dust off the cover before she carefully opened the photo album. Nostalgia swept through her body as she found pictures from Mikan's birthday two years ago; the Second Round; the Third Round; the girls all smiling in their room; Ryo and the girls at Denny's; Anna and Nonoko's party—she stopped at the page were it showed pictures of Mikan and Hyuuga holding hands with Hyuuga friends present around a lunch table in the canteen of the Academy. She recalled they were having lunch that day, and Hyuuga and Mikan were discussing wedding venues. Hotaru sighed, "He really did care for her . . ." as she turned the page to see pictures of the Fourth Round. Mikan looked beautiful in all the pictures . . . Hotaru couldn't help but close her eyes painfully in memory. It was after the Fourth Round everything had gone all wrong—everything just _crumbled _like a sandcastle by the sea. Reluctantly, Hotaru turned the page again to see pictures from the Fifth Round. Mikan looked like a different person to the girl in pictures on the page before. Skinnier, more gaunt looking, with heavy eye makeup and an excruciatingly sad, heartbroken look captured in her eyes.

"Why did you do that to her Hyuuga?" Hotaru quietly asked herself, as she flicked back a few pages to see the pictures of a happy Mikan and Natsume again. That was question that had been haunting her ever since May 2008.

Hotaru blankly stared at that picture for a few seconds, before she her phone buzzed, effectively snapping her out of her dazed reverie. "What am I doing?" she whispered to herself, as she slammed the photo album shut.

Hotaru generally thought there was no time in life to dwell occurrences in the past, so she couldn't believe her actions for a few seconds; the same seconds she used to put the album back into the shelf. She briefly wondered if she should dispose of the album itself due to its contents, as she walked to the table where her phone rested, but then thought to herself that getting rid of photos didn't mean that it didn't happen – so was there any point?

Memories are the best forms of evidence for individuals after all. Quite like how a photo of Poland 1945 could never express the horrors that were experienced to a Jewish person.

With that grim thought, Hotaru unlocked her phone, only to see she had received a text from Aoi Hyuuga, she opened it with a smile.

She liked Aoi. A lot.

Yet her smile turned upside down when she saw the contents of the message – a message that was only sent to her, Anna, Nonoko and Sumire.

Hotaru's amethyst eyes widened.

_There's something I should have told you. Please, please, please meet me at my apartment tomorrow at eight. I have something important to tell you all._

Aoi Hyuuga was planning to tell them the truth.

Of course, Hotaru already knew the truth – Mikan and her had somewhat uncovered the Hyuuga secret, and Mikan did confirm that they were right sometime in 2008 after the breakup, but what reason made Aoi feel obliged that she tell them the truth? Now in 2010? _Why?_

Hotaru was curious from birth; she could not help these questions jump in her brain.

_Calm down, _Hotaru said to herself, _maybe it's going to be about a surprise visit to see Mikan in Nagoya and that's why Aoi didn't send this to Mikan._

Yet when Hotaru reread the message, she reasoned her first guess to what Aoi wanted to tell them was more likely to be correct, judging from the text message's serious tone.

Was it mere coincidence that her the photo album, _2008_, whose existence she had forgotten came back into her consciousness just mere seconds from Aoi's text? Hotaru didn't really believe in nonsensical things such as fate, yet for some reason, she felt that it was no coincidence that she rediscovered the album she hadn't seen since the year of its fabrication – it was warning perhaps, she reasoned, that the memories of 2008 were not going to be shelved like a photo album, yet they were going to be revisited tomorrow at eight at Aoi's place. And it wouldn't be till tomorrow that her questions would be answered.

**.0.**

Youichi Hijiri needed time to digest all the information that his girlfriend had just told him. She had told him something he would have never expected to hear in a million years; something that could potentially _ruin _a certain famous band's career for good; something that was truly horrifying – something that happened _to _his girlfriend at her older brother's fifteenth birthday.

Aoi Hyuuga, told him her family's dark secret through streams of tears – she had come home shaken, and at first lied to Youichi that she was fine and was just tired, but he was not blind. He could see she had just been crying, and he was not the type to let things go. He egged Aoi on gently as he softly held her, and promised that she could tell him anything without having to worry about him judging her and an hour and a half later, Aoi had began to tell him something that she had "never told anyone before."

Youichi Hijiri was still awake in their bed an hour after Aoi had finished telling Youichi the truth. Youichi's face did not mirror the absolute shock of the truth that he felt inside – he was too preoccupied to stop his girlfriend from crying, and forty-five minutes after he had successfully managed to get her to fall asleep in his arms on their bed.

Yet there he was awake as Aoi's words replayed in his head. About her father, and his relationship with her older brother; about her brother's fifteenth birthday and how she nearly _died _at the party; about her arrival at the Academy; about Mikan Sakura, the pretty doe-eyed girl, and her secret relationship secret with her older brother . . . Aoi had told Youichi _everything. _Which included tonight's happening – Ruka Nogi, Kitsune-me and Kokoroyomi springing up upon his girlfriend for her help and cooperation. And which included that tomorrow – well today, as technically it was past midnight now – evening, the girls (sans Mikan) were going to hear what he heard too, and they were to speak with the three boys.

Youichi felt Aoi stir in her sleep in his arms. She was so small and precious to him that when he first heard the story, inexplicable anger suddenly mounted, directed at the Hyuuga family itself for causing his girl such trauma but as he now contemplated all the information in his head, he tried to put himself into Natsume Hyuuga's shoes.

When Youichi first heard it all, he thought how foolishly Natsume dealt with everything (including the whole Mikan Sakura affair) but what would he have done if he had gone through all of that? Would he have been able to carry all of guilt on his shoulders at the age of fifteen?

Aoi shifted in her sleep, and Youichi's green eyes traveled down her neck to her shoulders. He knew that she had scars that were currently concealed by the blanket on her back and Youichi had wondered on occasion where Aoi had gotten the scars that faintly circled her small body when they were intimate. The thought of scars alone made Youichi tighten his grip around Aoi's small waist.

He promised to her that he'd be there for tomorrow when she told the girls the truth, and at the arrivals of the boys, yet to himself, Youichi Hijiri promised that he'd be there for Aoi not only for tomorrow but for as long as he possibly could.

**.0.**

Evening came quicker than usual as far as Aoi was concerned, and after a small dinner with her boyfriend at seven thirty, they lounged on their small yet comfortable sofa in the living room for the next thirty minutes, just mindlessly talking with one another. Speaking to Youichi about everything made her confident, it made her see that she could do it with the others too, but as the minute hand ticked and tocked closer and closer to twelve and the hour hand to the eight respectively, she started feeling nervous and felt her stomach clench.

Aoi was petrified about what their reactions may possibly be – all their replies back to her text seemed cheerful (albeit except Hotaru's, but Hotaru was never the one to put smiley faces at the end of her texts), and she couldn't imagine any of them could possibly be ready for what they were to hear in a few minutes time. Would they feel betrayed by her silence? Would they be angry? She had a feeling they wouldn't respond like Youichi so kindly did . . .

Aoi unconsciously began to chew her poor bottom lip, tearing the thin flesh and it was only when Youichi called her name is stopped. "You okay?"

She fumbled, and Youichi hugged her tightly. "I told you," he sighed softly, "I'm going to be here. Just tell them what you told me last night and I'm sure they'll understand."

Aoi nodded before she nestled her head in the crook of his neck. "I'm sorry," she quietly said, surprising Youichi.

"For what?"

"For not telling you. I should have told you."

Aoi felt his arms tightening around her. "You had your reasons. I can also see it wasn't an easy subject to talk about at all, so how could I ever blame you?"

She briefly wondered why she was so lucky to have found somebody like Youichi and after pressing her lips to his soft neck, she heard the doorbell ring. Aoi was about the spring up, yet Youichi's firm arms took a hold of her, making her look at him in the eyes. "Calm down. Go open the door, bring them here. I'll go make some tea, alright?"

Aoi nodded, smiled, kissed her boyfriend all in four seconds before she, as calmly as she could, made her way to the front door and she couldn't help but smile at the voices she heard from the other side of the door.

Voices of Anna, Nonoko and Sumire, and a shushing hiss, which Aoi presumed was from Hotaru made Aoi smile.

She clicked the door open, and saw all four faces of her best friends brightly smile at her but before she could speak, she was encased by tangles of arms. "Aoi!" came the voice of Sumire Shouda. "I haven't seen you in what feels like ages!"

Sumire Shouda who was so, so beautiful in the Academy was even more beautiful now if that was even possible – her glossy hair had grown, and right now it was tied up in a high-pony tail, emphasizing her sharp cheekbones and bringing out the emerald swirls in her eyes.

Aoi laughed as she felt the two lips of the twins kiss her on each cheek, and laughed even harder when they simultaneously said, "Aoi, we missed you!"

Anna's sugary pink hair was as curly as ever yet she had ditched the fringe back in '09 after the advice of Rodrigo, her new gay hairdresser, whilst Nonoko had ditched the long hair look all together; her midnight coloured hair was now stylishly a bob that looked ever so beautiful with her bold red lipstick.

"Come in, come in!" Aoi ushered them in, and Hotaru Imai took no time to do as she was told, and presented Aoi with a smile as she passed her. "I brought some cake and _lots_ of napkins." Hotaru informed Aoi, once she had managed to close the door behind them all.

Napkins?

"Oh yum!" Aoi smiled, ignoring that niggling feeling in the back of her head. "Youichi's just making tea so cakes would be perfect! Thanks Hotaru, that's really sweet of you."

"I'm convinced she's trying to fatten me up," Permy commented, inducing the other girls of comically roll their eyes – typical Sumire Shouda, really. "No I'm serious, she's bought a montblanc and she _knows _that I'm the only one who likes that in this little group – hey!" she suddenly exclaimed, looking around her surrounding now that she had taken off her heels. "I like the feminine touches you've introduced to this flat!" She pointed at the new vase of flowers and the once-weren't-there paintings that were hung in the hallway. "Youichi must be happy, eh?" Sumire suggestively wiggled her eyebrows, and bizarrely exchanged knowing and smug glances with both Anna and Nonoko.

Giggling like silly pre-teens (Hotaru continued with the eyerolling however), the girls followed Aoi deeper into the flat, towards the living room.

They started to ask and answer questions to one another about their individual lives (which to Aoi was quite a sad thing because before, when they were in the Academy, living with one another meant they knew everything about one another but after graduation that all changed), and once they entered the living room, and saw Youichi set out traditional Japanese cups on the table more squealing started on the obvious three's part: "YOU-CHAN!"

"How are you?"

"Have you grown _again? _Bloody hell, you're basically twenty – when are you going to _stop_?"

"How's cohabitation life treating you, eh?"

The questions were all asked at the same time, so Youichi could only look at Aoi for help, with one of his eyebrows furrowed questioningly. Aoi sniggered, "Just say you're fine and that I'm a lovely girlfriend."

Youichi nodded at his girlfriend and looked at the others, "I'm fine and I have the best girlfriend."

Aoi felt her face go red as Anna, Nonoko _and _Sumire all started to 'awwww' in mushy gushy fashion, and playfully narrowed her eyes at Youichi who was serenely smiling towards in her direction.

"I brought some cake." Hotaru announced to Youichi, and he thanked her, and thanked her again when she started to actually help him set out the table, as the other girls continued their discussion ("Did you guys come here all together?" "_We_ did, but Hotaru met us in front of your flat building!"). Youichi pulled out the box of cakes from the see-through plastic bag, and pulled out six napkins (one for each) from the abnormally large bulk of napkins within the bag too, and when he was about to put the remaining napkins and the plastic bag itself in the bin, Hotaru stopped him.

"We need those napkins. Put them all on the table, please."

Youichi was confused, but then when he looked at her in the eyes, he understood her subtle suggestion immediately. Yet, he feigned a look of confusion and followed her orders, thinking perhaps that for once ignorance would be bliss, especially when it concerned Hotaru Imai.

_She knows. _

_She knows._

"Alright!" Permy exclaimed, grasping the attention of even Youichi and Hotaru who had just finished setting up the table. "What did you have to tell us then, Aoi?" Aoi looked at Permy, and from the corner of the eye she could even see Anna and Nonoko had the same expression on their faces: they all had a cheeky glint in their eyes and sappy smiles plastered on.

Aoi was albeit it a bit confused by their expressions, but Permy's questioning of their summoning of tonight brought Aoi back into a place she did not want to be in – in the hall of memories of the past. "Well," she quite unemotionally said, "let's all sit down and I'll tell you."

And sit down they all did, with Youichi and Hotaru beside her and the other three in front of her, yet Aoi's confusion stretched on when she saw that the three still had expecting smiles on their faces and once of twice she saw Nonoko's eyes flicker in the direction of her hidden stomach and her left hand. She tried her best to ignore it, as Youichi sweetly poured each and every one of them some green tea.

"Thanks, hon." She smiled at him as he sat back down beside her. Aoi gently closed her eyes (Hotaru, unknown to her was as this point deeply looking at Aoi with her bottomless amethyst eyes); took in a deep breath before she opened her crimson eyes yet before she could utter a syllable Permy jubilantly cried, "I can't take this anticipation! Are you pregnant or engaged? Or both?"

The reaction was worth videotaping.

Youichi spat all the green tea that was in his mouth in one go – too shocked by Permy's interruption; Hotaru's eyes both twitched at the same time, as she incredulously looked at the three girls, who _all _seemed to have thought the same thing; whilst Aoi's mouth kept opening and closing all whilst exponentially her face was colouring to the shade of her red, red eyes. "Wh-Wh-_Huh?_" Aoi spluttered as Youichi beside her coughed (he had obviously choked a bit too).

"Congratulations!" the three chorused happily.

". . . _EH?_"

"I knew it, I knew it!" Anna trilled happily. "Nonoko and I got hints when you said no to that champagne and when we went to the bookshop, you kept commenting how cute that bald baby was!"

Hotaru's twitching intensified.

The coughing continued.

Aoi at this point was a whole new shade of red, as she unceremoniously blinked and gaped like a dying fish.

"We need to celebrate!" Permy clapped. "Lucky thing Hotaru bought cake too – we only managed to buy you a card," right on cue, Permy pulled out a card from her handbag, "but don't worry we'll throw you the _best _baby-bash and bachelorette party—" COUGHCOUGHCOUGHHH;TWITCHTWITCHTWITCH—"with to make up for it, you know with lots of glitter and—"

"I'm not pregnant!" Aoi burst out, like a over-heated steam engine, reaching its limit, "Nor am I getting married!" Silencing Nonoko once and for all, and panting quite heavily after her eruption.

The three blinked at first, letting Aoi's statement sink in . . .

A few seconds later, it was their turns to turn an embarrassing shade of red, as realization hit them and pulled them rapidly down from their high—Permy slithered the card back into the handbag, mortified—and it wasn't till a few more seconds later, all three of them burst into apology to Youichi, who was thankfully no longer coughing (yet rather pink in the face) and Aoi, horrified by their illogical leap to their assumptions and insinuations.

"We're—"

"—_so_—"

"sorry!"

"_That_," Hotaru stated (her twitching had thankfully stopped too), "was probably the silliest thing I have ever seen in my life, and I'm the one with Mikan as a best friend." Though her statement might've sounded harsh, the girls were well acquainted with here enough to know it was meant to be taken as a joke, despite it being the truth. Hotaru's statement got the three to feebly smile and chuckle a bit, but they were too humiliated to do or say anything else, nor did they dare to look in the direction of Youichi, who was not laughing at Hotaru's comment.

Suddenly, the giggling Aoi started to laugh very hard, as the scene of what just happened replayed in her mind—how ludicrously sweet and crazy of her friends to think of such thing! Permy, Nonoko and Anna weakly joined in with the laughter too, when they saw Hotaru too was snickering, obviously amused, and heard Youichi's chuckle.

"We really are sorry though," Nonoko said, once the laughter started to die down, still pink the face "I don't really know _how _we jumped to that conclusion so quickly . . ."

"I think we just got a bit over-excited and read too much into things," Anna squeaked.

"We really should have read the signs though," Nonoko muttered, "I mean, Aoi would never tell us something that important without Mikan . . ."

Permy hid her face in her hands. "_So _embarrassed right now!"

"No, no, don't worry." Aoi reassured them, finally calm, yet still smiling. "In fact, I'm kind of glad we had a happy start . . . but what I'm going to say to you is going to sound even worse though, compared to our funny start . . ." As the sentence came to an end, _all _of them could see the shift in Aoi's tone, and in her eyes; the sentence died off, if anything, and a scared, panicky looked invaded Aoi's crimson eyes.

Nonoko furrowed her eyebrows. "Is everything okay, Aoi?"

Aoi at first did not respond—she held her silence for quite a bit—until she felt Youichi's hand slide into her's comfortingly on her lap. Her heart was slamming against her chest; she could feel her face uncomfortably go hot yet cold sweat started to secrete all over her body. Aoi blew out a shaky breath, "What I'm about to tell you . . ." She looked at all of her girl-friends, noting how each and every one of them were now leaning in, intrigued, all with a very Hotaru-like expression present on their face, "is something I've never told anybody before," she glanced at Youichi, "except for Youichi. But I only told him less than twenty-four hours ago." The girls' gaze flickered to the sombre looking Youichi. "It's . . . something that I probably should have told you all sooner, but reasons prevented me from doing so . . . even the law forbids me from doing so by the decrees of the secrecy . . ."

"Aoi . . .?" Permy croaked, obviously worried. All three girls looked scared, their eyes wide with fear. "What's going on?" Hotaru's expression was unreadable. She just watched Aoi carefully, not missing any minor movement of detail. The moments from a few seconds ago, of the girls' silly mistake was completely gone now, gone and forgotten, if anything.

Aoi closed her eyes as she gripped Youichi's hand tightly.

"Don't worry," Anna's sweet voice rang, "take your time. We have the whole evening." It was both a form a reassurance and even a prod for Aoi to continue.

Aoi shook her head, slowly. She paused, before she opened her crimson eyes at her friends. "We don't have the whole evening. We only have till nine o'clock, because at nine they'll come."

"They'll?" Nonoko managed to say, her voice strangled and laced with terror. "Who's they?"

"At nine," Aoi slowly said, "Ruka, Koko and Kitsune-me will be joining us."

At that, even _Hotaru_ openly reacted; her lavender eyes widened (she had not been expecting that at all—and she was usually always two steps ahead of everybody, thus when she's not, it's a shock to her) and she could for once even hear her own heartbeat in her ears.

"Ruka? Koko? Kitsune-me?" Permy demanded, absolutely thunderstruck. "_Ruka, Koko and Kitsune-me?_ From, from the _Alice Academy?_"

"The three friends of _him_?" Anna questioned, scandalised—her voice had raised up a notch of two by the end of her question. "What could _they _possibly want from you?"

Before anybody could add to Anna's statement, Youichi firmly and clearly took control by saying, "Just listen to Aoi and ask questions at the end, or else she'll never be done by nine."

For a nanosecond, Permy, Nonoko and Anna were outraged by Youichi's interruption—_he has no idea the gravity of the situation; Ruka, Kitsune-me and Koko, friends of Natsume Hyuuga!_—yet the three girls fought their anger in different ways (Permy for example starting to flare her nose), all whilst Hotaru just kept looking, albeit still a bit dazed from it all. Similarly though, all four girls now were silently urging Aoi to continue with their eyes, which were filled with both shock and horror (and maybe even betrayal, Aoi feared), and Aoi quietly thanked Youichi before she turned back to them. Everything about them had changed within the span of minutes—it was unbelievably really; even Hotaru—and Aoi wished for the millionth time she had a _normal _family, as if she did, she wouldn't have had to ever have this conversation with her best friends.

Aoi thickly swallowed, "I'll tell you all everything, I promise." Aoi braced herself, took a deep breath and _ready, set, go!_ she was off. "You know how I never really talk about my family? Well, that's because I don't like them very much, in fact, I hate my father. You probably all know this but when we were younger, we lived in Sapporo, and you should know, first of all, that my dad is a lawyer. A _really good _lawyer that puts his work before anything, including family . . ."

_**Fifty minutes later . . .**_

Nobody had touched their cake.

It was a damn good thing Hotaru had kept all the napkins on the table, which confirmed to Youichi that somehow Hotaru Imai _did _know what was to happen tonight because by the time Aoi was coming to the end of telling the truth, only a few remained in the stack.

At the beginning, the girls were perhaps a bit too engrossed to cry, but when Aoi started to cry once she was retelling what had nearly happened to her on the night of her brother's birthday party, the gravity of the situation really hit them. If Natsume had been a few minutes late, she wouldn't have been in front of them, and when that thought hit them, and when her story didn't seem to have a happy ending a few minutes later, the tears just didn't, _couldn't_ stop.

Hotaru though just a wore a grim smile throughout this section (what happened; the consequences; the court-cases; the scheming deal between Persona and Takeshi Hyuuga; Natsume and his friends being shipped off to the Academy as part of the deal), and that confirmed to Youichi that perhaps Hotaru _knew _about it all (which would make sense as Aoi had said that Mikan knew about the whole secret last night, having been told by her then-boyfriend, Natsume Hyuuga), but he could see up till what point she knew the _full _story, as when Aoi started to tell the girls about her parents' surprise visit in May, 2008, (the reason why Natsume did what he did) Hotaru's expression completely changed, into what Youichi would call a completely indescribable look.

And when Aoi told them what Ruka had told her last night—that Natsume loved Mikan to this day—that was the real bomb-dropper.

All the girls' now had the indescribable look of complete and utter shock plastered on their faces now.

". . . so," Aoi chocked as Youichi rubbed her back, "it's m-my fault really because i-if I had told Mikan what my father said that lunch, maybe . . ." Aoi covered her eyes with her hands as she continued to speak, "none of this would have happened b-but I didn't know she knew about it all, a-a-and Mikan was just cryin _so much _that day I just couldn't bring myself to defend Natsume."

"It isn't your fault," Permy fiercely said, through her sniffs, "It _isn't_ your fault at all, godammit Aoi."

It was perhaps a bit too much to take in for the girls in fifty minutes – the whole secret was enough to register anyway (it was so horrid that the girls couldn't believe it actually happened, and such a father even existed!) but then to hear the reason why Natsume broke up with Mikan (a question that had been plaguing _all _of them for two years) _and _to hear that Natsume loved Mikan?

It was too much, too much.

"Poor you." Anna cried, "Poor you and poor Mikan. Mikan knew the whole time and . . . she never said . . . oh _God._"

Nonoko sniveled, "Poor Natsume, too. I mean . . . imaging having such a father who has _such _an influence over you, to make you do things like that. And God, imagine all the guilt he carries on his shoulder and he still loves her . ."

Hotaru did not once shed a tear throughout Aoi's confession. Finding out everything she wanted to know was not satisfying as she thoughts it would be, at _all. _Yet perhaps the reason she was not mourning like her friends was due to the fact that anger somewhat was prickling at the pit of her stomach throughout the last ten minutes of Aoi's confession—she didn't really know what it was, but when she heard Nonoko say '_poor Natsume'_, she immediately knew why she had felt that way.

"Poor Natsume?" Hotaru repeated. "_Poor Natsume?_ I'm sorry," her voice was harsh, surprising everybody, "but am I the only one who remembers the _pain _Mikan went through? Who cares if he still loves her, because judging from what you told me Aoi, Natsume just seems like a drugged-up stalker now!" ("Hotaru!" Anna cried, shocked at her blunt honesty), "I'm just saying before all of you start to cry and mope about Natsume Hyuuga, I want to remind you _all _of what _he _did." She fiercely said, looking at the three girls in front of her, "I don't give a _damn _if at the core it was his father's fault because at the end of the day it was _his _bloody choice to ignore Aoi like she was the plague when she came to the Academy _and _it was his choice _smash _Mikan's heart into smithereens the day after he slept with her. He's hurt two of my best friends, and I'm not letting him get away with it that easily."

"I don't think it's that simple, Imai." Youichi quietly said. "I mean," he began to correct himself when Hotaru threw him a furious glare, "when Aoi told me," he tightened his grip on Aoi, "I thought the same thing too. I think Aoi thought the same too when she first heard it all. But . . . just put yourself into Natsume's shoes."

Hotaru half-heartedly attempted to do so.

"He's single-handedly killing himself." Hotaru stated.

"Exactly!" Aoi cried. "A-And . . . despite all that's happened, I don't want him to . . ." Aoi couldn't finish that sentence, instead, she started a new one: "I just want him to get closure, Hotaru. He may have been a complete _idiot _about it," Hotaru cruelly snorted, obviously indicating she thought Natsume was more than an idiot, "but he's my brother."

"Yes, the same brother who completely ignored you and made my best friend depressed for a few months, if I recall correctly."

It was Youichi's turn to throw a glare at Hotaru. Hotaru in return completely ignored his look, not fazed by it in the slightest way.

Aoi blew out a shaky breath, finally pulling herself together. After blowing her nose once more, she looked at Hotaru with a small smile. She knew from the beginning that Hotaru would react to her confession like this, because at the end of the day, Hotaru was the most loyal friend anybody could _ever _ask for. "I'm not suggesting they get back together in _any _way, Hotaru." Aoi gently said. "All I'm asking is for is for my brother to be set free from this prison he's constructed himself—whether he can speak to Mikan to sort things out or not."

Anna and Nonoko wiped off the last tears that stained their faces, and Permy, who had stopped crying a few minutes back, was just curled up like a cat in her seat unconsciously biting her nail with a blank expression on her face.

None of them really knew what to think of what anymore, after Hotaru's outburst, because what Hotaru said was so very true. Did Natsume even deserve the opportunity to get closure? Did it even matter whether of not he loves Mikan to this day after all he has done?

Nobody would ever be able to comprehend the shift of atmosphere that occurred in the span of an hour in Aoi and Youichi's living room.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you this earlier," Aoi quietly added, "that was completely my fault . . ."

Yet before the girls said anything (whether it'd be nice or not) the doorbell rang, and everybody in the room knew whom that would be, after Aoi's explanation. "They're here." Nonoko hollowly said, and she even glanced at the ticking clock. "It's nine."

Aoi stood up, and Youichi kindly stood up with her. Thankfully, she took his hand and told her friends she's be back in less than a minute—which allowed them to actually think about everything Aoi had just told them carefully without any distractions as they were all dead silent.

**.0.**

"God, I hope this is the right door," Koko muttered, as he wiped his the sweat gathering on his forehead. He started to futilely fan himself with his other hand, as she glanced at his two friends, who looked equally suffocated in Tokyo's summer heat. It was nine and they were all right on track, and they were also all nervous, feeling ants in their pants.

They knew they had to give it their best shot tonight, to convince the others in order to help Natsume Hyuuga, their friend. They knew the gravity of the meeting they were about to embark upon, but they all opted not to talk about it, in hope that they'd be less nervous yet Koko was worried that the heat was not the only reason as to why he was sweating so much.

"_God _it is so effin' hot—"

Suddenly the door opened to the three boys, halting Koko's rather pointless and obvious statement, revealing Aoi Hyuuga and a familiar silver-haired bloke on the other side. "Youichi Hijiri!" Kitsune-me cried, as he threw Youichi a smile. "How are you, man?" Aoi had texted them earlier on this afternoon that she had told Youichi about the whole thing, justifying that he had the right to know as her boyfriend, and despite their initial reaction, they accepted Aoi's action, knowing that it may be worth it.

Youichi however simply only nodded to Kitsune-me friendly gesture, indicating that he was alright, thus after that, the mood turned a bit awkward and grey between them, especially as the boys only just realized that Aoi looked as if she had just been crying.

"Well, are you going to let us in?" Koko tentatively asked. "It's really hot out here!" he laughed, trying to break the ice.

Ruka pressed his lips together, and as Aoi and Youichi shifted to give them space to clamber in, Ruka couldn't help but asking, "Did you tell them everything?"

"She did." Youichi answered for Aoi before Aoi could confirm with a wobbly, "I did. I told them everything. "

The boys all nervously slipped their shoes off and once they were pushed to the side, Aoi told the boys to follow her, and follow her they did. They all curiously looked around Aoi Hyuuga's new flat yet before they knew it, they were in the exact same room where four very familiar figures were present.

Sumire, Anna, Nonoko and Hotaru.

Like Aoi, the four had all changed yet looking at them brought back memories of their times at the Academy almost immediately.

And dear God was atmosphere in the room dense. Three out of the four girls looked like pandas yet the odd one out (three guesses who) looked absolutely livid. Hotaru Imai's jaw was clenched, and her violet eyes were dangerously empty, yet despite it all, she was the first one to speak to them. "Hello."

"Hi!" Koko bravely smiled.

"Hello." Kitsune-me managed not to stammer.

"Long time no see." Ruka said.

Aoi and Youichi motioned for all of them to move to the sofas just on the other side of the room, as that way, everybody could sit, and once everybody was sat on the sofas, each with a different expression on their faces, and the atmosphere still as dense as a black hole, Hotaru finally spoke. "So, Hyuuga loves Mikan, eh?"

Trust Hotaru Imai to never beat around the bush. "Um, yes." Ruka confirmed. "To sum it up, yes."

Hotaru laced her fingers together, propped her elbows on her knees before she rested her delicate chin on the web fabricated by her fingers. "So, you think writing a song for that Mochu about his love or even lack of love life, googling his ex, hating on Sono Kaname, taking drugs and becoming some depressive recluse defines someone who's in love?" She scoffed. "Funny. As far as I'm concerned, when people are in love they're supposed to be happy, _not_ suicidal."

The boys all mentally swore.

They knew she'd be a tough nut to crack.

"Yeah, but the problem is, the girl he _loves_," Ruka emphasizes the L-word, "doesn't love him back. In fact, he knows that she probably hates him."

"Hmm, yes." Hotaru cruelly agreed. "She probably does. And she definitely doesn't love Natsume anymore."

". . . That's why he's suicidal . . ." Koko said, yet too bad for him as he was so scared of Hotaru that his statement sounded more like a question that anything else, giving the impression that he was a complete and utter clueless idiot.

Ruka knew that _convincing the friends_ literally translated to _convince Hotaru Imai _because as far as he was concerned, she was really the only obstacle between them—Aoi had giving her acceptance, and by the looks of, the others seemed to have done too. The three girls were just silently listening, their eyes darting from one to the other.

"You really believe he loves her?"

Ruka looked into Hotaru's eyes, and without a trace of hesitation said, "_Yes._ He said so himself."

Hotaru raised her eyebrow, "And what of it? Why should we care?"

Kitsune-me sighed. "Look. We get it—she doesn't love him anymore. Aoi already told us that and we understand that. All we want is for our friend who is fuckin' killing himself to speak to Mikan so he can get over her too. Get over her, get closure and move on with his life." Koko nodded in complete agreement, secretly admiring his friend for having such balls to even speak to Hotaru Imai without stuttering.

"We know he's in the wrong." Ruka added. "_He _knows it too, and we also know we can't blame his father for everything because it was Natsume who did what he did but . . ." Ruka tiredly rubbed the planes of his face and Hotaru carefully watched him with a scrutinising gaze, "if Aoi can make space for the idea for giving him closure, then maybe you should too."

Hotaru narrowed her eyes at the statement. _Oooh, Nogi's actually good at getting what he wants_, she thought. "So," she slowly started, "you want us to get them to talk? To sort it out?"

Koko nodded. "They don't ever have to speak after they do—I mean, if that's what they want."

Hotaru was still unconvinced, and feelings of hatred she felt towards Natsume Hyuuga, which had been buried deep within her, were out and about tonight but the rational side of her mind reminded her that people who acted on anger were usually the stupider and more reckless ones in the argument. Nothing good ever came out of being aggressive. But this was her best friend Mikan, her best friend who was hurt so badly by this guy but then she came to the most important question: _Would Mikan want this?_

"Please, Imai . . ." Ruka finally resorted in begging. "I mean . . . if you just meet him you'd know why we're so desperate . . ."

Hotaru clicked her knuckles before she leaned back down on the sofa, crossing her arms. She stayed silent for a few minutes, but then she turned to Aoi. "What do you think, Aoi?"

Aoi, surprised that Hotaru had asked of her opinion blinked before she thought about the question. She knew the answer as soon as she felt hot tears prickling her eyes once again: "I just want to this all to end."

And for some reason, Hotaru knew that Aoi's reply was the right answer. Sumire wanted this all to end; Anna wanted this all to end; Nonoko wanted this all to end; Ruka wanted this all to end; Kitsune-me wanted all this to end; Koko wanted all this to end; _she _wanted all this to end and she was more than certain that the two subjects of the topic wanted nothing more than for this to end too.

This mess had to end.

For that to happen, Hotaru knew the price she had to pay. "Fine." The boys for a moment all looked at one another, as if to confirm whether what they heard from Hotaru was _real _and not just their imagination. Then it all sunk in, and bright sunny smiles were painted across all three boys' faces, but before they could thank her Hotaru continued: "But at the end of the day, it's Mikan's response that'd be most important so don't get your hopes up on anything. You never know—he might relapse after he sees her, after he learns that she no longer loves him."

Despite the girls' repetition of that, for some reason, Ruka wholeheartedly believed that they were all wrong and that Mikan did still love Natsume, but he daren't say that out loud.

It was just a hunch after all.

"We know that."

"I think it's going to take a long of time to convince Mikan though," Nonoko said, speaking for the first time. She pushed her hair back as she continued to say, "Like a _really _long time."

Hotaru gritted her teeth—this was part of the consequences: "I know. That's why we aren't going to tell her."

All the girls snapped their heads in Hotaru's direction, absolutely shocked—more so than of the boys, who were just a bit confused to why Hotaru said that, after insisting that Mikan's decision was the most important.

"Come on. You think it's going to take a long time to convince Mikan? Well, I'm telling you convincing Mikan would be pointless because she'd _never _say yes. Trust me, even if it'd mean all this would finally be over. I know her, and if we all want this to end dammit, we're going to have to spring this on her."

"But Hotaru—"

Hotaru interrupted Permy before she could utter another word, "Do you think I want to do this? Because if you do, you're wrong. I don't want to help Natsume Hyuuga in anyway—I hate his guts, and I mean that. I'm Mikan's best friend, and I am doing this for her, so don't tell me anything otherwise. Of course I don't want to spring Natsume on her, but if it means in the long-run she'd never have to think of him again, then so be it, I'll do it. For _her_."

The girls immediately understood that this was the price Hotaru had to pay, and Hotaru was doing this all for Mikan, even if it was completely against her wishes and probably even Mikan's wishes. She was risking her trust with Mikan. They realized too that Hotaru wanted this to be over as much as the next person, despite the fact that she'd never once voiced her opinion on the subject.

"But how," Kitsune-me asked, a few seconds after Hotaru's outburst (which he felt completely ambivalent about), "do you plan to get them to talk?"

Hotaru ignored Kitsune-me's question by asking a question of her own, "And Hyuuga—is he willing to speak to Mikan?"

"Yes." Ruka confirmed, as Kitsune-me spluttered in the background, offended his question was not even acknowledged by Hotaru Imai.

"Okay, that makes one of them." Hotaru said. "And stop spluttering," she commanded to Kitsune-me, her nose crinkled with mild disgust, "I had to ask that question before I could answer yours."

The boys briefly all wondered if Hotaru Imai had really been this scary back in the good ole days.

Yet, she did not answer Kitsune-me's question—instead she asked another question. "Where is he now?"

"Back at home. We told him we were going to the gym."

"Lead me there."

Ruka's mouth fell open. Kitsune-me's nose twitched. Koko's eyes bulged, "_What!_" Even the girls held traces of their surprise despite the fact they did not voice or act upon it.

"I'm going to speak to him about my plan, of course. I can't trust any of you, obviously." Hotaru curtly replied, looking at the boys as if they all had an IQ lower than 50. "I want to see him and talk to him."

"N-Now?"

"No, next year." Hotaru sarcastically bit out. "Of course now!"

"Oh, oh," the boys immediately all scrambled up from their seats at Hotaru's words, feeling as they were headless chickens for a moment, "of course!"

"Meet me at the front door."

The boys all obliged, and made their way out the living room yet before they did leave once and for all, they didn't forget to say goodbye to Youichi and Aoi and the rest of the girls. It was strange how people's lives and paths entwine with one another's, Ruka thoughts to himself as he smiled at Aoi, and how such entwined paths can one day branch out into completely different directions.

Once the boys had left, immediately the quite hushed discussion of the girls' began (sans Youichi, who felt he really had no say in all this matter, and was only there to hold Aoi's hand): "What are you going to say?" "What are you going to do?" "Do you want us to come with you?"

"No," she answered the last question; "I don't think it'd be good for Hyuuga if too many people go . . . except perhaps you, Aoi." Hotaru's amethyst eyes looked at Aoi gently. "Aoi, if you want, you're welcome to come."

Aoi opened her mouth and closed it. Then, she looked at Youichi, and at her other friends and the more she thought about it, the more the answer became clear. "I want to speak to him . . . but not tonight. I think tonight you should just focus on . . . you know. I'll speak to him afterwards."

The girls all hugged Aoi, in a way that told her that when the time was to come, they'd be there for her no matter what.

Hotaru nodded, understanding Aoi's sentiments, before she stood up straight. "I'll be going off them."

"Call us?" Permy asked.

Hotaru paused. "I'll come back here to tell you. So stay here. I'll try to be quick."

They all nodded.

And none of them at that moment could really believe what had just happened in the span of less than two hours, and how in such little time, life could completely change. Moments like these defined who they were to be in the far future, they all knew that as they stay sat on the sofa yet all they could do was ponder was what was in store for them, and what was to happen to their best friend, Mikan Sakura.

**.0.**

**End of Chapter Thirty-Seven**

**.0.**

**A/N: **_Dedicated to: __Ailia Kate Kira__ and her very sweet post on the internet (well, her blog) about me. And to __sakuraxsyaoranx007__ for the song suggestion, _The Best Years Of Our Lives. _You know, the songs that have recently been present at the beginning of my chapters – they're not just there for funsies or anything – check 'em out! _


	42. From Low To High

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Gakuen Alice.

**.0.**

**My Happy Ending**  
_**by Little Miss Giggle**_

**.0.**

**Chapter Thirty Eight: From Low To High**

**.0.**

_There was a new girl in town.  
She had it all figured out.  
And I'll state something rash.  
She had the most amazing smile.  
I bet you didn't expect that.  
But she made me change my ways.  
With eyes like sunsets baby.  
And legs that went on for days._

_I'm fallin' in love  
But it's fallin' apart.  
I need to find my way back to the start.  
When we were in love.  
Oh things were better than they are.  
Let me back into.  
Into your arms.  
Into your arms._

— Into Your Arms  
The Maine

_**.**_**0.**

Natsume knew that his friends were not at the gym. He also knew that they didn't go to the gym last night either – but he didn't say a word to them last night, nor did he give any hint that he knew they were lying to his face earlier that night, as they bid him goodbye and promised to be back soon. They had played out their lie pretty well, Natsume had to give them credit for that, but Natsume just knew they were lying due to his gut instinct and also due to the fact that he had known them since he was a little boy.

Natsume knew his three friends like the back of his hand, and it hurt him to think that his friends were lying to him about their whereabouts but at the same time he respected their decision, as he had an inkling that whatever they were doing concerned him.

He gathered he had probably scared them, and made them worry even _more _after what he had said last night to them.

Alone in the house with Hachi, Natsume was watching the television with a blank expression, as his fingers mechanically kept on repetitively bringing his cigarette to his lips so he could take a drag as he sat on the sofa. He had called Hachi affectionately to sit beside him a few minutes before, but when Ruka's dog refused his offer (probably because of the cancerous smell Natsume was emanating) Natsume knew he had hit a low point.

It had got to the point where _dogs _were rejecting him.

This mindless smoking and watching television act continued for the next few minutes before Natsume finally crushed his cigarette in his ashtray, feeling like his lungs were going to be buried from bottom to top under tar and god-knows what other carcinogens if he had one more cigarette.

Before he knew it, Natsume started to calculate in his head how many cigarettes he had roughly smoked in 2010 alone . . . roughly a packet a day . . . thus twenty a day . . . when Natsume figured out the estimate of the number of cigarettes he had smoked in 2010 alone a cold shiver ran up his spine. He had read in a 'Quit Smoking Today!' leaflet a few weeks ago that, estimates vary but a study found that each cigarette took about eleven minutes off one's life.

Not wanting to think about this, Natsume stood up from the couch, trying to in vain dispel such thoughts away from him and went to the kitchen to get himself a drink of water to help him ease his internal panicky feelings.

Why must his thoughts be so morbid – so cyclically morbid?

Had he no dreams or hopes anymore? He put his empty glass down, and sighed knowing that his only real dream right now was something that he, at the present moment, could never achieve, given his horrible and depressive state of mind and given the fact that it involved somebody who probably already a Sono bloomin' Kaname in her life.

_Here I go again with the morbid thoughts_, Natsume leant his back on the door of the fridge, and slowly threw his head back only to tiredly sigh. He had read enough T.S. Eliot and Russian plays over the past few months to know he was not in the right frame of mind and was losing himself.

He opened his eyes when he heard a whine by his feet. Natsume glanced down to see Hachi looking up at him, wagging his tail impatiently. Natsume smiled, and bent down to scratch Ruka's dog behind the ears.

Perhaps all hope was not lost.

The clock read five to ten when Natsume heard the front door being opened. Hachi was the first to react – excited by the noise and hopeful that it might be his master (Ruka) he bounced out the kitchen and made it to the front door as quickly as his legs would carry him. Finding this action endearing, Natsume slightly smiled before he made his way over to his friends too, but on his mini-journey there he was surprised by the lack of noise of his friends' entrance. Slightly frowning in bewilderment, Natsume only turned the corner to get the shock of his life.

If he thought cigarettes were bad, well godammit, seeing Hotaru Imai – his ex-girlfriend's best friend – in his apartment with his friends might has well just cost him _half _of his lifespan. The extent of his utter shock could not have possibly been articulated, and his mind came up with conclusions that he was most probably dreaming before he heard the voice of Ruka say, "Natsume, we have to tell you something."

Natsume uncharacteristically stayed silent in a way that clearly indicated he was flabbergasted; his crimson eyes and his mouth ajar.

Hotaru Imai had physically changed, that was for certain, but the unreadable look in her violent eyes were exactly the same as Natsume remembered them from the times at the Academy. She scanned him from head to toe, and her thin lips stayed pressed together as she continued to observe him. She did however flit her eyes in annoyance in the direction of Hachi, who was whining at Hotaru's heel, desperate for a bit of puppy-lovin' attention.

The three boys awkwardly looked at each other before Kitsune-me cleared his throat. "Well, ur, shall we chat in the living room, then? Who wants some cold barley tea?" Without waiting for an answer, he escaped in the direction of the kitchen, desperate to get away from Natsume and Hotaru, who were emitting such palpably suffocating emotions collectively.

Hotaru ignored Hachi, and looked back up at Natsume Hyuuga. Here he was, the boy – man, now – who had caused her best friend such misery. In fact, Hotaru had spent some of the past two years calculating and planning what she would do if she were to ever encounter Natsume Hyuuga in the future. All her plans were albeit violent and vengeful, yet here she was, in front of the man she had been plotting against for the past two years yet she could do nothing but inspect him. Perhaps her eyes didn't recognise, didn't _want _to recognise this person as Natsume Hyuuga; he looked too vulnerable and looked more like the _ghost _of the man she hated. Indeed, maybe it was his awful appearance, which induced some sympathy towards him, which stopped her from carrying forward Plan X. Or perhaps it was because whenever she had envisioned their encounter in the past (in her head of course), he had always, in her imagination, had an annoying Koko-like grin plastered on his face, and definitely did _not _look like the person in front of her.

The last time she saw Natsume in flesh had been two years ago. Obviously Hotaru had seen his faces splashed in magazines but indeed his appearances in them had been scarce recently (he was mentioned, of course, most recently about 'his' song _Just A Dream_ yet it was the photos of him that had been low in numbers – the same photos were often published) thus Hotaru had no idea Natsume Hyuuga now looked like . . . _this._

_This _meant a man whose eyes were blood-shot, and hollowed; whose facial hair was scruffy and rough; whose hair seemed too untamed and out of control . . . and man who _smelt _so strongly of cigarettes.

"They weren't kidding. You look _and _smell awful."

This was Koko's cue to escape to the kitchen, muttering that he would go help Kitsune-me with the barley tea. Ruka bravely stood by after Hotaru's excruciatingly honest statement and waited for Natsume's response.

Natsume reacted first by touching his jaw – feeling the scratchiness of his stubble – before he slowly answered, "I suppose I do."

She noticed his horribly raspy (smoke-induced) voice before she directed her infamous 'no-shit' expression at him. Hotaru Imai continued by demanding, "Well, are you just going to stand here all night? Take me to your living room – we need to talk."

Ruka was to be the one to lead his best friend and Hotaru Imai (and even Hachi) to their living room, where Koko and Kitsune-me awaited, sat, with cups for each filled with barley tea resting on the coffee table, in the centre of the clustered sofas.

"Make yourself at home." Ruka said to Hotaru, gesturing at the sofas.

They all sat, and the awkward atmosphere sank upon them too as they did so.

Natsume at this point had finally recovered from his absolute shock of seeing Hotaru Imai, and now that he was sat on the sofa, questions flew to his brain: _why was she here? why did his friends bring her here? _He cleared his throat, "I guess you weren't at the gym, huh?" Natsume said, looking in the direction of his friends. His tone held no anger, yet was clearly laced with hurt emotions.

All he got in return were apologetic grimaces.

"Can I at least know what's going on?" Natsume quietly asked, hoping to get an answer. He flitted his crimson eyes at Hotaru Imai, whose unnerving gaze was _still _resting upon him. "Why are you in our apartment?" He had the urge to kick himself after his direct question, realising that he should have phrased that better as he _was _speaking to Hotaru Imai but there was no need for him to kick himself really as Hotaru Imai did it for him.

Not literally, but metaphorically of course by stating, "Well, hello to you too, Hyuuga. I see we are as charming as ever."

"I didn't mean—I mean . . ." Natsume openly struggled; he unclenched and clenched his fists, "I'm sorry." He finally said, before he looked up at Hotaru Imai. "How have you been?"

Hotaru blinked, and continued to look at him for another three seconds before she answered, "No, no, you're right." She took her cup of barley tea. "Let's _not _beat around the bush, because frankly I don't think any of you really care about how I've been these past two years so no, don't apologize Hyuuga for that. I should have just accepted your bluntness." She paused to take a sip. "I am here because I know _everything._"

Natsume furrowed his eyebrows at her ambiguous statement. "What do you mean you know everything?"

"I mean that I know what happened on your fifteenth birthday; your deal with your manager and your father; how reacted to it; how you slept with Mikan and broke up with her the next day because of what your _father _had said that day at the Prince Hotel. I _mean _I know _everything_."

If Natsume thought he was shocked when he _saw _Hotaru Imai a few minutes ago, nothing could compare to the size and extent of his flabbergasted sentiments after Hotaru Imai had just said all of that. It took a good few seconds to digest what she had just said, and before he could verbally react to it, Hotaru Imai continued, "Before you start pointing your fingers at your friends, it was Mikan that told me everything up until what happened on your fifteenth birthday, as we half-uncovered it together back in 2008, before you told her. And it wasn't your friends who told me the rest, it was your sister, Aoi."

"A-Aoi?" Natsume croaked, feeling his insides do all sorts of acrobatic moves at the name of his sister. _How is she?_

Hotaru nodded. "She wants to help you. Your friends want to help you. They want all _this_," she motioned to him,"to end." Koko, Kitsune-me and Ruka at this point couldn't help feel extremely silly and embarrassed as this desire (of wanting to help and wanting all this to end) really should have been said by them, but there Hotaru Imai was, being the voice of their and Aoi's desire.

They felt like cowards.

They should have done this _months _ago.

"Help?" Natsume looked at his friends, his eyes widened.

"You _need _help, Natsume." Ruka gently said, looking into his best friend's crimson eyes. "And it starts by you apologising to Mikan."

His best friend telling him he needed help might have stung Natsume a little bit more had he not said the words 'apologise' and 'Mikan' in the same sentence. "What are you talking about?" Natsume asked, his left fingers now twitching, feeling the itch for a cigarette to calm himself down. "What do you mean?"

Then, Hotaru asked a question that silenced all in the room: "Do you still love Mikan?"

She had heard from the boys that Natsume did indeed love her best friend, but Hotaru had to be a hundred percent sure about this before and hear it from _his _lips before she even _considered _to let Natsume Hyuuga anywhere near Mikan to speak to her about their past together.

Silence engulfed the room, and all four pair of eyes eagerly looked at Natsume, who was stunned by Hotaru's question. They all waited for his answer. _Come on, say yes Natsume, come on, tell her the truth, come on, come on, _Ruka begged and prayed – the other two had identical prayers running through their minds too.

Natsume then nodded at Hotaru.

Hotaru raised an eyebrow before she coolly said, "A nod isn't sufficient. _Tell _me that you—"

"I love her." Natsume blurted out.

Even though Hotaru may have pressured Natsume into saying what she wanted to hear, she was not deaf—she could hear that Natsume's confession was a genuine one, not only by the tone but also by the expression now present on his face as looked at her with such raw emotions.

Hotaru took another sip of her drink before she continued, "You know that I hate you, right?"

Koko spluttered, before quickly disguising it into a coughing fit. Everybody in the room was taken back at Hotaru's volatile manner of speech, not to mention her brutal honesty!

Natsume held his emotions by the reigns however, and answered quite calmly, "I gathered as much."

Hotaru took a sharp intake of breath through her nose, "And you do know that I do _not _want to help you?"

"Well, now I do." Natsume answered, feeling disheartened immediately. The boys all exchanged glances at one another, worried at what Hotaru Imai had just said.

"But," she sighed, "the others . . . that is to say Sumire, Nonoko, Anna and Aoi," Natsume bit his lip, finding it strange to hear the names of people who belonged in his past, "have reminded me that it is not _my_ decisions that counts, but it is yours and Mikan's which are important." At this point, Hotaru who had gracefully been crossing her ankles together, undid them and leant forward, to get closer to Natsume, so she could say, "Your friends and you _sister _want you to get closure. They want you to _move on _and stop living in the past and I can even say that I have to agree with them after seeing the state of you." Natsume blankly looked at her, despite the fact that he was hurting immensely at this point. "And, well," she shifted to her original position and crossed her ankles again, "in order for you to get closure, talking to _me _about the past will not merit you in any way."

Natsume stayed silent. His friends too stayed silent, and just continued to shift their gazes between Natsume and Hotaru Imai, as if they were watching a tennis rally.

"You have to talk to her, Hyuuga. You have to talk to Mikan." Natsume looked up at Hotaru, crimson eyes _alive _once again, burning brightly like a fire finally ignited after being dormant for so long. "You have to tell her the truth about _everything _that she deserves to know. You have to tell her why you did what you did that day to her."

Speak to her? Speak to Mikan? That would mean to _see _her? Such thoughts immediately excited yet greatly worried Natsume at the same time and now both his hands were itching for a cigarette—he didn't know to deal with this; for the past two years he dealt with these kinds of feelings, well mostly anxiety and depression, by the usage of drugs which often helped him numb the pain, if not help him direct it elsewhere.

"I'm going to be honest with you Hyuuga." Hotaru interrupted his wild train of thoughts, and captured the attentions of the boys once again (who were, until this point, doing an mental celebration), "In my opinion, I believe it was the fact that she never knew the reason why you broke up with her so suddenly that kept her infatuation towards you going on for so long." Immediately after hearing the word 'infatuation' only anxiety and dark thoughts swept over and invaded Natsume's mind and the mini-celebration had come to a screeching halt for the boys. It was not like they wanted to keep Natsume in ignorance, but at this point, considering his vulnerability and depression, the boys thought it'd benefit Natsume more if he _didn't _know what Hotaru was to say: "I believe that if you tell her the truth, that sense of wonder that she finds in you which keeps you in her memory is going to dispel immediately from Mikan."

Natsume narrowed his eyes, ignoring for now the word 'infatuation'. "Are you implying that you _don't _want me to tell Mikan the truth?"

Hotaru scoffed, "Of course not. I'm just warning _you_ because after you tell her the truth Hyuuga, believe me she is going to want _nothing _to do with you. She only pined about you for so long because she didn't know _why _or _what _made you do what you did. The unanswered question is what kept her returning to the memories with you . . . for a while, I mean. At least for a good half of a year."

Natsume openly looked hurt – it didn't sound as if Hotaru was warning him, to him, it just sounded like an attack against him. _Fair enough, I do deserve it . . ._

Looking at his face, something finally clocked in Hotaru Imai, and she couldn't help that sharp intake of breath before she cautiously asked, "Hyuuga . . . you _do _know that she no longer loves you anymore, right?"

He didn't want to hear that. He didn't want to hear that at all, but he knew he couldn't control others' feelings towards him, and despite the fact that he initially wanted to react by putting his hands over his ears Natsume quickly remembered his actions against Mikan. Those words were something he had been fearing to hear for the past two years now, yet something that Natsume had known all along, really, deep down inside.

After all, who wouldn't hate their psychotic ex-boyfriend who dumped his girlfriend after sleeping with her? After _everything _that happened between them? After what they shared together?

Besides, the press raved on about her relationship with that blonde actor anyway.

Why would she care, let alone _love _him now?

It was all wishful thinking on Natsume's part.

"I-I . . ." Natsume voice was cracked and he coughed a smoker's cough before he said, "I gathered as much. I suppose she'd have to be mad to still be in love with me . . . after what I did and after all this time . . ." He swallowed before he looked up to his friends first – who all wore such sombre expressions on their faces, they seemed like foreigners – and then at Hotaru Imai who still had that same blank expression on her face. "Do you think . . . is there any chance that she . . . that she'd forgive me?" he quietly asked Hotaru.

Hotaru contemplated this question for a few seconds before she answered, "Forgive you, I'm sure. Mikan forgives easily but forgetting the pain is a different matter." Natsume nodded, illustrating to her that he understood what she was saying but even so, Hotaru could tell that Natsume had wanted to ask Hotaru something else, and she had a very good idea to what that question was. "For the record," she decided to tell him the answer of his unasked-question anyway, "the answer is no; I do not think that there is any chance that Mikan will ever love you the way she did ever again, even if you come out with the truth."

Ruka silently groaned.

Koko looked down at the floor.

Kitsune-me bit his lips.

Natsume closed his eyes in what looked like defeat. He stayed with his eyes shut for a good few seconds before he opened his eyes and slowly said, "Even so, I should apologise. I'll contact her and I will go see her in order for me to tell her the truth—she deserves that—and so I can move on too, I suppose."

"Contact her?" Hotaru repeated, snorting slightly. "Really, Hyuuga. You should know better that your ex-girlfriend would never agree to meet with you if you _contact_ her."

Natsume furrowed his eyebrows, bewildered at Hotaru's declaration. "But you just said I was going to meet her—"

"Yes, but not in the conventional obviously." Hotaru interrupted. "You can't just call her and expect her to agree to see you to chit-chat about the past. Honestly! No, Hyuuga, you're going to have to surprise visit her if you want to speak to her."

"W-What?" it was not just Natsume who exclaimed this, _all_ the boys had said 'what' simultaneously, shocked. Even the three had not been informed on Hotaru's plan, so they were of course just as astonished as Natsume was.

"You heard me right. You're going to Nagoya."

Nagoya?

"Nagoya?" Koko repeated, his eyebrows furrowed. "Why on earth is Natsume going to Nagoya?"

"Because Mikan's there." Natsume answered before Hotaru could, and his knowledge on her whereabouts surprised Hotaru initially. It told her clearly that he was still up-to-date about things concerning his ex, that much was obvious to Hotaru and said _a lot _to her.

"Can't Natsume just wait till she gets back to Tokyo?" Ruka asked for Natsume.

Hotaru shook her head. "Not Tokyo. Tokyo, the centre and heart of Japan, where it is crawling with paparazzi? I think not—Nagoya would be much better, especially as where Mikan lives is really remote." Natsume couldn't help smile in memory—Mikan had told him so much about her hometown when they were going out . . . soon that smile turned into a rather sombre, bitter one as he thought that things perhaps would never be that good for him again. "I'll be coming with you." Hotaru added, with a tone of finality.

Natsume looked at Hotaru. Silence lapsed in waves in the living room, and just as the three boys thought they couldn't take the silence anymore, Natsume agreed: "Okay. Let's go to Nagoya."

"I'll book tickets for the both of us tonight. Nogi gave me your number so expect a text from me tomorrow morning. Be prepared to leave for Nagoya sometime during this week." _The quicker we get this over with, the better, _Hotaru thought and calculated in her head that if she could get tickets for the day after tomorrow that would be most ideal.

Natsume nodded in confirmation once more.

"And Hyuuga?"

"Yeah—I mean, yes?"

Hotaru stood up, ready to leave. "Go to the hairdressers' and have a shave by tomorrow evening. And try to cut down a bit—at least, until after you've seen Mikan."

Natsume gratefully smiled at Hotaru's words and promised he would do exactly as she said, and he even stood up, informing her that he'd walk her to the front door.

"Thank you, Imai!" the boys chorused, smiling at her, as she was leaving the living room.

Hotaru took no note, nor did she even acknowledge their thanks, instead, she rather distastefully said, "Maybe give that dog a bath, too." And those were her last words before she left the living room, with Natsume trailing behind her.

The boys at this point were _smiling_ at each other jubliant to see that things were finally moving forwards. They were going to get over this—_Natsume_ was going to get over this, and although they were all worried for Natsume's near-future concerning Mikan and thus his well-bring, the extent of their contentment could not be underestimated as they had waited _months _for a chance like this to happen.

If they were lucky, Natsume will come back from Nagoya different person to the ghost that he had become. Of course, the change need not to be drastic, as such a depressed person needs _time _to recover of course, but as the Chinese proverb goes, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Yet what Koko saw however, was different to what Ruka saw. Ruka had told the two quietly that he still believed that the two did have a chance together . . . yet Koko, though he dare not to voice it, believed that Mikan and Natsume were not going to have a happy ending _together_. No, Koko believed that they _will _have a happy ending but individually as he could not see their paths entwining in the future. After all, Mikan's song that stuck with Koko the most was called '_My _Happy Ending' not '_Our _Happy Ending'.

But only time would tell and so long as Natsume, his good friend, was to get a happy ending even if it didn't consist of Mikan . . . that was good enough for him.

**.0.**

**End of Chapter Thirty Eight **

**.0.**


	43. On the Other Side of the Door

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Gakuen Alice.

**.0.**

**My Happy Ending**  
_**by Little Miss Giggle**_

**.0.**

**Chapter Thirty Nine: On The Other Side of the Door**

_**.**_**0.**

_Hello world  
Hope you're listening  
Forgive me if I'm young  
For speaking out of turn  
There's someone I've been missing  
I think that they could be  
The better half of me  
They're in the wrong place trying to make it right  
But I'm tired of justifying._

—Come Home  
One Republic_  
_

**.0.**

She was sitting on her windowsill. It was sunny – the sun was splashing its warm rays all over her and her book, which was in her hand; the window was open and her leg was casually dangling out. It was hot; she was only in summer dress and perched on her nose was her sunglasses.

Taking a dreamy sigh as she finished her chapter, Mikan Sakura let out a very long yawn. A kind of a yawn a cat would make after being warmed under the sunshine for a few hours.

Contently, Mikan smiled as she finished stretching. "I really needed this," she mused to herself as she swung her leg back into her room, closing her book.

Her room in Nagoya had been untouched – it was still in the same condition it was as she left it at the age of fifteen, back in 2007. Just by looking at her room, Mikan could tell how much she had changed since that summer. Her walls were plastered with silly boy bands she used to believe were the _hottest _things alive, not to mention all her excruciatingly embarrassing pre-teen books still were tucked in her bookshelf and only now, at the age of eighteen, did she realise _why _people called them _trashy books. _It was very different to the book that she was holding her hand – a book recommended by Hotaru, her best friend, and although she didn't _quite _yet understand nanotechnology, she could admit it was fascinating. Yet despite the fact that her brother teased the poor taste she used to have, Mikan did not want to change her room as she liked to see how much she had matured since then.

Her family were all downstairs, getting brunch ready on this gorgeous summer's day, and by the fact she had only woken up an hour ago, her mother accepted that Mikan must be tired from everything so she needn't to help out with the preparation, much to Ryo's annoyance and protest.

Only when she had arrived at her beautiful rural house in Nagoya did Mikan _really _realise how tired she was. Her friends were right – she needed a break, a holiday away from the busy metropolis, Tokyo.

Especially as she was due to go on a national tour come autumn. Despite her nerves about it, Mikan was equally, if not _more _excited for it that nervous as it _was _her first national tour and majority of tickets for all her venues had been sold out (in Tokyo's case, her company had to add _another _date!). A national tour meant she would get to travel to Osaka, Kyoto, Yokohama, Kobe, Sapporo, Hiroshima, Sendai, Fukuoka . . . to perform to people who wanted and paid their _money _to see her! Perhaps some, like her when she was younger, had spent weeks saving up for these concert tickets and just that thought made Mikan feel all warm and gooey, like Anna's chocolate fondue cake, deep inside.

Mikan jumped from the windowsill to her room, to retrieve her phone, which was sat on her bed. She had heard it buzz a few minutes before, but did not immediately jump to it (even when she heard it buzz for the second time), as she happened to be desperate to finish the chapter it was so engrossing. Not to mention, she was pretty sure it was Hotaru who had texted her and she was sure her best friend would appreciate that her own reply was delayed due to her reading the book that _she, _Hotaru,had recommended her.

Besides, it was probably about the details of her train arrival late this afternoon. Mikan smiled at the thought that she'd be able to see her best friend in a few hours time. Of course, she was surprised when Hotaru had called her last night, announcing that she was planning to visit Nagoya but her happiness and excitement after hearing Hotaru's plans overrode those sentiments.

Indeed, when she unlocked her phone she saw she had a text from Hotaru (which read: _Arriving at 16:34. Will call you then.) _and her other text was from her friend, Kaname.

Smiling, she opened it, only to read: _Hey, missing you. Tokyo's not the same without you xx_

Quickly, Mikan replied with an emoticon for Hotaru's text and to Kaname: _I miss you too! Come visit me here – we can go for ice cream again :-3_

Despite all the whispers and the chatter that had been circulating about her and Kaname, they were _not_, (and I repeat) _not _a couple. Mikan loved him in every possible way _except _romantically. Three months ago, Kaname had actually confessed his feelings to her, and asked her sweetly to be his girlfriend but Mikan, who could not bear the idea to ever _lie _to Kaname told him that she did not think of him in _that _way.

Even though he took her answer with an understanding smile, Mikan could see how upset he was by her rejection. But she knew that her action was for Kaname's good, as it would have never been fair for Kaname to go out with somebody that did not love him whole-heartedly. Kaname was amazing – he was funny, sweet, and genuine – he deserved somebody who truly loved him without question, Mikan reasoned.

It would have not been fair on him.

Still, even after _that_, Mikan and Kaname often spoke on the phone and they often met up to eat or see a movie together and even attended celebrity events in each other's company (thus fed the paparazzi exactly what they were hungry for). Mikan did however make it clear to him (that she did not think of him like _that_) as she most definitely did not want to lead her best friend on. Yet regardless of Mikan's constant denial of romance between the two of them at interviews and on radio shows, the media liked to give birth to gossip.

"Mikan!" her mother's voice called from downstairs. "Honey, brunch!"

Mikan smacked her lips together. She was waiting for that.

**.0.**

At _exactly _16:34, Mikan's mobile rang. She was sitting in the living room, with her older brother Ryo watching television, and when she stood up to answer it, Ryo mockingly commented, "I'm surprised that your ringtone isn't one of your own songs, Miss _National Sweetheart_."

"Well," Mikan threw him a tight smile, that she only ever gave out to her brother, "I'm not vain like you, you see."

Before answering her phone, she kicked Ryo's legs in a sisterly manner, after he had replied, "One day I will post a video of the _real _you on Youtube, mark my words!" with a mischievous smile that was only used against his sister.

"Hello?"

"_Mikan—"_

"Hotaru!" Mikan happily cried. "Where are you? Do you want me to come pick you up from the station?"

"_No, no. Instead, can you come meet me at the Marriot Hotel? It's two minutes, by walk, from Nagoya Station."_

Mikan frowned. "Hotel? Aren't you coming home?" Indeed, the Imais only lived a few doors away from Mikan and when Hotaru told her she was visiting, she thought it really implied that she was visiting her family.

"_Of course I am. There's just something that needs to be dealt with here at the Marriot."_

"Do you mean dinner?"

There was a pause from the other line. "_Well, I was thinking more of a late afternoon tea."_

Mikan smiled, "Oh, goody! I would love that – not to mention your mum is already preparing your dinner – crabs, of course – she's invited me for dinner at yours, is that okay?"

"_Of course, silly."_

Mikan laughed. "I can't wait to see you!"

"_So, meet me at the Marriot hotel at . . . let's say 5:30?_"

Mikan, looking at the clock thatwas hung above the television saw that she would have to leave in a matter of minutes if she were to be on time for her afternoon tea date with Hotaru. Of course, where they lived _was _Nagoya, but it was far from the centre and it took a good fifty minutes by car to get to Nagoya station.

"That's fine by me! I'll see you then!" After bidding each other with a goodbye, Mikan went to go find her parents (who were in the garden) to tell them that she was to meet Hotaru at the Marriot at five-thirty, and asked (with a cutesy-putesy puppy dog smile) whether if she could borrow the family car to drive there. Mikan, who had turned eighteen at the beginning of this year already had her driving license but had yet to invest in a car.

"Well, I don't see why not." Her father replied, but then said, in a mock-serious voice, "But you break the car, and I'll break your neck."

"Daddy!" Mikan laughed, as she playfully scolded him (by hitting him lightly on his arm). Her father responded by bringing her into a fatherly hug as he chuckled. "I'm just joking, honey."

"I know." Mikan giggled.

"But perhaps you want to take Ryo with you?" her mother suggested, smiling at her husband and daughter. "You are indeed a _national celebrity._" Yuka had raised her voice at the last two words, and pointedly looked to her left, to the fence that separated their garden from their neighbour's. Mikan could not help but burst out laughing, seeing though her mother's intention immediately. The Sakuras were still great rivals with their neighbours, and Mrs. Sakura took every opportunity she could get to toot her own her horn (about her daughter's success).

"I'll be fine." Mikan reassured her mother, before adding, "And I _won't _break the car, I promise." After her parent's consent, Mikan dashed upstairs to her room, to quickly get changed and flew out the house a few minutes later, only to start up the family's car's engine. If only Mikan knew who was waiting for her at her destination, pacing up and down nervously, at this point, perhaps she would have not been happily singing in the car on her way to her destination, the Marriot Hotel.

**.0.**

Despite her initial late start, Mikan arrived at the Marriot Hotel at fifteen past five, thus fifteen minutes early – mainly due to the fact that she did go over the speed limit at times and thanks to her luck of not encountering any traffic on her way to the Marriot. Her feet – more like her stomach – directed her to the saloon café as soon as she stepped into the Marriot Hotel (where she assumed she would be meeting with Hotaru for afternoon tea), yet she did not make it there so easily.

People in the stunning lobby of the hotel recognised Mikan Sakura almost immediately, and before she knew what was going on, a small crowd gathered around her, asking for photos and pictures. It was really only a small crowd though (two teenage girls; three siblings (one boy, two girls); three men, who were all friends, in their early twenties; and a mother, who was carrying her a baby), thus when the hotel manager flew to Mikan, to ask her the crowd to disperse and "leave Miss Sakura alone", Mikan smiled, and told the manager, who was called Mr. Suzuki, that it was "quite alright" and that she did not mind.

The two teenage girls took a photo of her, with them in the picture too, of course, before one announced, "You're even more beautiful in person! We love your music so much!"

"Yeah, we _always _sing your songs at karaoke!"

Mikan could only blush at their compliments to her, and even hugged them a goodbye.

Fans were Mikan's guilty pleasure, as they also managed to make Mikan feel as if she were something that she most definitely wasn't – a star.

The three siblings who were six, eight and eleven respectively also asked for a photo and even an autograph. The six year old even presented Mikan with a chocolate that was in his pocket after she had finished signing her name in her signature curly writing. She hugged them in gratitude and cheerfully waved at them as they departed.

The three men, who were all twenty-two and in University together, started by declaring their profound love for Mikan (which Mikan could only laugh at), before each of them asked her, playfully, for her hand in marriage. "I'm not kidding," one of them said, "you are actually the prettiest thing I have ever seen in my life."

"Yeah," the other two agreed, "your posters don't do you any justice!"

Mikan denied their statement at first, before thanking all three of them. She gave them all an autograph with an 'x' after her name, and accepted a photo with them before she waved them goodbye.

The mother, who was the last one, asked politely if she could have a photo of Mikan with her baby, Karina. "Karina," Mikan cooed, "what a beautiful name!" Mikan obviously agreed, before she carefully took the baby into her arms and smiled into the mother's iPhone. The mother profusely thanked Mikan as she took her child back into her arms. "It's not problem at all," Mikan laughed, "I love little children any way . . . not meaning to sound paedophilic or anything!" The mother laughed and thanked Mikan again before she left Mikan.

Feeling immensely happy after that, Mikan looked at her watch to see that in seven minutes it would be five-thirty (so she wasn't late!) and made her way, finally, to the saloon café by the reception. The café's furnishing was very agreeable, and when she asked for a table for two for afternoon tea, she was presented with a cute table in the corner of the café. Wasting no time (as her stomach refused to wait any longer), Mikan took the menu in hand and when the a waiter passed by her table, she quickly and politely ordered two of the 'Afternoon Tea Sets' (which consisted of a tea, scones and mini-sandwiches), one for her and one for her best friend, Hotaru.

She couldn't wait to tell Hotaru about the baby she had just taken a picture with – and with that thought in mind, her phone rang.

"_Hey – you here?"_

"Yeah, I am! Where are you?"

"_Come up to Room 563 – it's on the left side of the building, on the eighth floor."_

Mikan frowned, confused. "What? I thought we were having afternoon tea. I'm in the lounge, well, the saloon café downstairs!"

"_We'll be drinking up here. Come up."_

"B-But," Mikan spluttered, "I just ordered two Afternoon Tea Sets—"

"_Just ask the waiter to bring it up to the room. Room 563. In case they ask, the room is booked under 'Jiminy Cricket'." _Mikan laughed at that. Being celebrities meant that when did stay at hotels they used fake names (or else there was the chance that a fan would find out and start paging them continuously throughout the night), and after the girls all together had watched _Notting Hill_, they all decided that Mikan and Hotaru should, from then, use Disney characters' names as their alias when booking a hotel room, as Julia Roberts did in the film._ "Besides, they won't mind – you're Mikan Sakura after all."_

Mikan sighed; she really hated using her name to get what she wanted but Hotaru was adamant for Mikan to meet her upstairs in one of the rooms, thus she obliged. After hanging up, she called the same waiter, and sweetly requested whether it'd be possible to bring the Afternoon Tea Sets up to Room 563. The waiter had obviously recognised Mikan as Mikan Sakura the singer, as he did not ask Mikan for the name the room was booked under, or seem to be bothered by her request at all.

Thanking him again, and again and _again,_ Mikan gathered her bag and followed Hotaru's orders and went to the left side of the building, to take the elevator.

After she had pressed number 8, Mikan popped the chocolate, which the little six-year-old boy had presented her with, into her mouth. It was sweet and creamy, yet sadly only lasted a few seconds before it was tumbling down into the pit of her stomach. She was alone in the elevator, humming a little song, yet she was troubled albeit a bit by Hotaru's keen request. Moreover, what on earth was Hotaru _doing _booking a room at the Marriot if she was going to back to her's tonight? It didn't make any sense. Especially as it was Hotaru, who was the stingiest person Mikan knew – Hotaru was not the type of person to waste money, and booking a room (at the Marriot!) for afternoon tea _screamed _'waste of money' in Mikan's point of view.

The elevator tinged and after looking at the arrows, Mikan made her way down to room 563. Her pace was increasing – the bewilderment of Hotaru's request was quickly being forgotten as she realised she was to see her best friend in a matter of a few seconds, and due to her pure excitement Mikan accidently ran past room 563, and came to a squeaky halt when she reached room 570. "Oops," she giggled to herself, as she made her way _back _to room 563.

Fixing her hair by combing her fingers through it, she rang the door-bell. "Jiminy Cricket!" she called, mirth evident in her voice. "It's me, Pinocchio – open the door!" She chuckled at her own lame joke, and then, the door opened—

"Hota—. . ."

Mikan didn't finish saying her best friend's name; instead of a 'ru' came a strangled noise from the back of her throat. She felt as if all the oxygen that was in her lungs were forced out, for she could not breath for a second, or two or three. She was winded; her brown eyes were wide-open, like a deer in headlights and she was frozen to the ground. All the thoughts that had been running in her head for the past day were completely blank and white now.

In a nutshell, Mikan was absolutely shocked, _thunderstruck, _because it wasn't Hotaru at the door.

Instead of violet eyes, crimson eyes that had haunted her dreams in the past were looking right into her's, and Mikan so very nearly felt like she was going to collapse when she heard _his_ voice say, "Hi."

Mikan's mouth opened (she managed to emit a pathetically constricted "I" sound) and closed—she did not know what to say, or _do_ for that matter, as standing in front of her was her ex-boyfriend she had not seen in two years – the only boy she had ever loved, and the only boy she disliked in this world, Natsume Hyuuga.

**.0.**

_Everything I can't be  
Is everything you should be  
And that's why I need you here  
Everything I can't be  
Is everything you should be  
And that's why I need you here  
So hear this now_

_Come home  
Come home  
Cause I've been waiting for you  
For so long  
For so long  
And right now there's a war between the vanities  
But all I see is you and me  
The fight for you is all I've ever known  
Ever known  
So come home._

_Come home._

**.0.**

**End of Chapter Thirty-Nine**

**.0. **


	44. Let It Go

**Disclaimer: **I don't own ANY of the songs, I don't own Alice Gakuen!

**.0.**

**My Happy Ending**  
_**by Little Miss Giggle**_

**.0.**

**Chapter Forty: Let It Go**

**.0.**

Both Natsume and Hotaru were wearing sunglasses as they made their way to the reception of the Marriot Hotel at around quarter to five. Whilst Hotaru really gave off the aura that she was somebody important by her pencil-skirt, heels and large sunglasses, the man who accompanied her induced the hotel staff to exchange glances. The man was wearing a hoodie – not that that was strange, but the combination of wearing his hood _up_, and his dark-tinted sunglasses immediately made one curious and albeit a little worried. After all, this was the Marriot Hotel, not some cheap place down the road. Not to mention the man kept his gaze down on the ground rather suspiciously.

"Stop looking like you're going to bomb the place," Hotaru murmured to Natsume as they were ten steps away from the reception desk, "your _keeping low _is attracting attention. Quite counter-productive."

"Yeah, well you're the one who told me it'd all be over if anybody recognises me." Natsume muttered back, his voice low and quiet, only for Hotaru's ears.

"Which is true. Just stop looking down like that." Those were the last mutter of words Hotaru said to Natsume in the lobby, before the man at the reception desk asked, "Can I help you, miss?"

"Yes." she walked to the desk, and turned back to look at Natsume only to jerk her head up, giving him a silent order to stay behind and close to her. "I've booked a room."

"Wonderful. Please may I have the credit card you booked your room under and some identification, please."

At this point, Hotaru took her glasses off. "My name is Hotaru Imai. I booked my room with this card," she slapped her debit card, which had taken out of her purse, onto the desk, "and here's my passport for I.D.," this time to slap her passport onto the desk, "but for my privacy, I actually booked the room under the name _Jiminy Cricket._"

The man at the desk, who had been clicking away at his computer, filling out the necessary details, paused and looked up at her last statement. He was confused, and a question was just about to leave his lips when his eyes finally met with Hotaru Imai's violet eyes. Immediately then, he recognised this woman in front of her as _the _Hotaru Imai, the pianist. "Oh, Miss Imai! Of course, of course – my manager did tell me about this earlier this morning; that's not a problem at all." He threw her a welcoming smile.

Hotaru nodded in thanks.

His exclamation of her name seemed to gather the attention of the other hotel staff and from then, all the suspicious glances that Natsume was getting ceased as they all mentally concluded that the bloke behind Hotaru just wanted to hide who he was so gossip could be avoided.

After a few more clicking and typing on the computer, the receptionist looked up and informed Miss Imai that her room was ready, and gave her a key-card and the instructions to the elevators. Hotaru thanked him when he wished her a pleasant stay before she turned back to the man behind her to say, "Come on, let's go." With that, the two left, only to leave the hotel staff at the desk to turn to one another and chatter.

"Who do you think that was with her?"

"Her boyfriend, perhaps?"

"Why was he hiding face though?" one naïve intern asked.

"Isn't it obvious? They could just be friends but if the paparazzi got a snapshot of them together, the bloke would be all over the page six tomorrow, branded as Miss Hotaru Imai's boytoy and branding Miss Hotaru Imai herself as a minx, or something."

"You think?"

One of the hotel clerk shrugged indifferenly, "That's what you get when you're famous."

**.0.**

"Alright, Hyuuga," Hotaru exclaimed, after she had finally shut the door behind them in room 563, "this is your room. As I said, I've only booked it for one night."

Natsume who took his sunglasses off, couldn't help at first but sighing in relief – he had been wearing the sunglasses since this morning, and had been ordered by Hotaru _not _to take them off under any circumstances, even in the _train_, so when natural colours came back into his sight he was pleased. He put them down on the bedside table he had made his way towards before he said, "Thanks."

It had been Hotaru who booked the hotel and the tickets, and of course, Natsume had already paid her back (or else she would have probably chased him to the end of the world) yet he still felt as if he were indebt to Hotaru, after all, despite the fact that she had openly and quite bluntly said she disliked him and all of this was _not _for him (but for Mikan), Natsume still was thankful. He had said 'thanks' a handful of times now to Hotaru, but her reply was always, "This is not for you, it's for Mikan." and that was exactly what she said in response again.

"Get changed." Hotaru added, looking at Hyuuga from head to toe. Natsume had taken her advice and had gone for a haircut, and had also shaved his stubble and it had made a considerable difference. He looked _much _better; Hotaru could even admit that, though she dare not say that out loud. He had aged well into his twenties (strong jaw, sharp cheekbones and a few centimetres were added to his height) but there was something still irksome (for Hotaru) about his appearance. After all, it seemed as if what he had been taking had really deteriorated him. Not to mention those stubborn dark circles under his eyes. But what irritated Hotaru the most was that the smell of cigarettes that followed him like a lost puppy. He had sworn to Hotaru this morning as she came to pick him from his apartment that he had not smoked since she had come to see him that night (the three boys all immediately involved themselves into the conversation by saying, "He's telling the truth!"). Perhaps the particles of the smoke were now infused into his skin, she distastefully thought.

Natsume frowned. "Why do I need to get changed?"

"You _did _bring clothes, right?" She looked in the direction of his carry-on suitcase.

"Yeah, of course."

"Well get changed because you _still _look like you're going to bomb the place. Wearing all black might not be the best thing when you're trying to reconcile with somebody you know. It's not exactly a welcoming colour."

"Right." Natsume nodded, for the umpteenth time, taking Hotaru's advice again.

"And Hyuuga," Hotaru called before he closed the bathroom door behind him with his carry-on in his arms, "put some more aftershave on, alright?"

**.0.**

The next few minutes for the two consisted of Hotaru reading the newspaper quietly, and Natsume pacing up and down the room. At first, Hotaru tried to ignore Natsume's pacing and found it quite easy, as the article about genetic engineering was very engrossing, yet once she was reading bland articles, she felt her attention wavering from her newspaper.

Hotaru looked up to him, and was going to snap at him, order him to sit down and relax, but when she saw how _nervous _he looked Hotaru just sighed and let him be.

She was still trying to, as Youichi had suggested that night, to put herself in Natsume Hyuuga's shoes and part of her felt a bit guilty for her very demanding bitchy attitude towards him. Yet she was not like the others who could so easily forgive him (to an extent) of his actions and understand that he really had his own personal problems. Even _Sumire _had (again, to an extent), stated that perhaps it is no surprise that Natsume became who he was, as with parents like that (in her words,) "You're bound to become a misfit. A bad childhood induced by parents and a bad state of mind is a one-way ticket to, well, becoming something ugly." Of course, it was not as if they all had forgotten about what he did to Mikan – in no way at all – and they still of course resented him for his past actions.

It was just that they . . . well, accepted that Natsume Hyuuga wasn't just some heartless, cruel, evil bastard that just brought misfortune to people without any reason.

Aoi was in fact still feeling guilty – she apologised to the girls profusely of her tight-lips, and promised them more than once that she will speak to Mikan alone to apologise when Mikan was back from Nagoya. Yet the girls did not blame Aoi; certainly, without any doubt perhaps _this _could have happened earlier if she had told them the truth, but it was not as if Aoi had lied to them. Aoi had simply just not told them something as it was against her judgement. Even Hotaru who was by far the harshest of them saw that Aoi's reasons for her actions were justified, as in turn, Aoi did not know that Mikan knew about her family's past.

Hotaru turned back to her newspaper, accommodating that Natsume Hyuuga _did_, she supposed, have reason to be pacing back and forth. He was going to see his ex-girlfriend after all, who he oh-so-romantically claimed he had loved for all this time. Oh, and who happened to dislike him now, especially after what he did to her.

But the pacing continued for ten minutes straight, and by then, Hotaru had finished reading her newspaper – well, all the important bits in it. She was just watching him, and he seemed completely oblivious to this as his hands nervously twitched beside him and the effect it was having on Hotaru.

His pacing was making _her_ nervous, and that, was not acceptable!

"Why don't you sit down?" Hotaru offered, thinking it was the only way she was perhaps going to get him to _stop _without sounding like bitch.

Natsume abruptly stopped, and looked as if the thought of sitting down and waiting was one he had never thought of before. He hesitated a bit, before he sunk down onto the foot of the bed. Three seconds later however, Natsume sprung up from the bed, blinking quickly whilst clenching and unclenching his two hands.

The doorbell had just rang.

He turned to Hotaru, and Hotaru saw that his crimson eyes, which were usually so good at keeping po-faced, were now open doors to his soul.

"Jiminy Cricket!"

Natsume felt his heart beat increase and his lower abdomen clench painfully as he heard _her _voice from the other side of the door. It was her – it was really her – she was _there_; it wasn't like when he heard her voice when listening to her songs, or when watching her interviews. She was _there _on the other side of the door. "It's me, Pinocchio – open the door!" He heard her laugh, and with that, he snapped his back to Hotaru helplessly, not knowing what do anymore.

All that time he was pacing, he was calculating what he should do and say, and now he couldn't even remember what his first point was.

Blood was pounding like fatalistic drum in his ears – Natsume felt sick, and continued to just _look _at Hotaru, not knowing what else to do.

"Open the door," Hotaru calmly said after a few seconds, "take a breath and go open the door. You didn't come all the way here to chicken out. Come on."

Hotaru's words were true. He was here to apologise, godammit, and acting like a wuss would get him nowhere. So, despite the fact that he could barely hear anything because of the blood drumming in his ears; despite the fact that he was shaking as his fingers held the door knob; despite the fact that his nerves, Natsume opened the door.

Because he knew that the girl on the other side of the door was worth it all.

There was a breathless pause as bewilderment, then recognition and then _shock _came across his beloved's face. They gazed at one another, and Natsume had to blink thrice before he managed to blurt out a raspy, "Hi."

Mikan Sakura, _his _Mikan was standing right in front of him – only a few centimetres standing in between them. She was right _there. _

And _boy, _did she look surprised. And by _God_, was she beautiful. Natsume couldn't stop looking at her and taking everything in – not just by sight, but his other senses were picking up things. For example, it took a second or two to diffuse but his nose definitely picked up her _smell_ – that sweet, clean smell she even had back in the Academy. His ears picked up a squeaky inarticulate word that was coming out of her lips, which were coloured with a deep red by the work of a lipstick. He tried to take everything in as she stood in the brightly lit hall way, scared that perhaps this was really all _just a dream. _It wouldn't be the first time he had dreamt about her, after all.

And finally she spoke, and as she did, her gaze snapped away from him, and she opted to look down at her floor. "I-I'm sorry." Her voice, her voice! "Wrong door . . ." and at that point, to Natsume's absolute and utter dismay, Mikan was starting to turn away, feeling as if somebody was playing a trick on her and of course, feeling as if she was going to just—

"I'm here, Mikan."

Mikan whipped her head back, refusing to look at _him _in his face. She had definitely just heard Hotaru's voice from inside the room, which _he _had just opened. "I'm inside, Mikan. Come in." Hotaru called once again. Mikan proceeded by flickering a fleeting glance at Hyuuga once more (he was intently looking at her) before she awkwardly walked past him into the confinement of room 563.

As soon as she saw her best friend inside the room, sitting on the sofa she felt questions run in her head at a million kilometres per hour. The excitement she had been harbouring for their, her and Hotaru's, meeting was completely forgotten now. Instead, the only coherent emotions that ran through Mikan were confusion and panic.

After all, _what the hell was Natsume Hyuuga doing here, with her best friend? _

"Mikan," Hotaru warmly called, and stood up from her seat to give Mikan a hug. Mikan could not wholeheartedly return it though, as she felt the uncomfortable presence of Natsume Hyuuga, who had closed the door behind her entrance, in the room close by.

_What the hell was Natsume Hyuuga doing here?_

"Hey," she managed to breathlessly say, before she stepped back and looking urgently into Hotaru's eyes, urging her to tell her what the fuck was going on silently, but she was impatient and she could not help but demand, "What's going on? Why is . . ." at that moment, she looked behind her shoulder to see, indeed, that _he _was standing there, watching her. Mikan shut her eyes tightly—_wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up—_turning back to Hotaru.

It was no surprise that it really pained Hotaru to say to Mikan what she said next, though she didn't show it: "You need to talk, Mikan." Her voice was soft.

"Talk? About what?"

Mikan was _way _beyond her comfort zone now. She was _not _comfortable with the fact that Natsume Hyuuga was standing behind her as she was talking to her best friend. Her heart was beating and she could help the clammy feeling that was washing over her.

"You need to talk with him." Hotaru gently made clear.

Mikan looked as if she was going to cry at this point. She was so _confused_, and this was just so unexpected—it wasn't fair! Suddenly feeling a prickle of anger, she acted upon it, and demanded, "What if I don't want to talk?" _Why are you doing this, Hotaru?_

Her anger towards her best friend though was short-lived, as she felt Hotaru's arms encase her into another embrace; the anger sunk down, only for her confusion and fear to rise back up again. "Mikan, you've been wanting to have this talk for the past two years. Fair enough, not as much as you did at the beginning of these two years but you know I wouldn't be doing this to you without a reason." Hotaru's voice was silky as she said gently this to Mikan. Hotaru gave Mikan an encouraging smile before informing her, "I'll be waiting downstairs. Take as much time as you need."

Mikan could only silently watch her best friend collect her handbag, send her one more smile before she _left_ , left her in a room with a person she genuinely thought she was never to cross paths with again. A person who she had loved so much once yet ended up hurting up. A person she had pined for, for a few silly months.

Natsume Hyuuga's eyes had not left her, and the past few seconds had been anguish for him, so when Mikan finally turned to face him after, in the room that had been engulfed in silence after Hotaru's depature, he felt a surge of nerves. "Hi," he said again, not knowing quite what else to say.

"Hello." was Mikan's small reply.

He proceeded by motioning the couch, after another prickly silence, thus offering Mikan to sit down to be more comfortable (if that was even possible), and once they were both sat (Natsume just sat in the armchair opposite the sofa she sat on), Natsume spoke again, not quite fully believing that this was _real _yet. "How are you?"

Even Mikan could not believe this was happening. It was surreal . . . and awkward. Her back was stiff; it did not feel like she sitting on a sofa in an expensive Marriot Hotel—it felt more as if she were in a cramped airplane toilet. "I," she cleared her throat, as her voice was a bit strangled yet again, "I'm fine. How are you?"

"I'm okay." was his response.

"I . . . I ordered two afternoon tea sets downstairs. They should be bringing them up soon."

Natsume nodded, "Okay."

Mikan shifted under his gaze, and turned her attention to her nails as an awful silence ensued after his reply. Natsume was somewhat oblivious to the silence as he just continued to look at her. He couldn't stop – after all, it was something he had wanted to do for the past two years of his life.

Mikan's hair was shorter than it had been in 2008. It looked as if it had more depth to it, an illusion created by her layers. Her skin, like before, was unblemished. Her eyebrows had definitely, Natsume noted, had been threaded, which really made Mikan look so much older, as they were now defined, sharp and thinner. Not to mention, the fact that she now dressed herself so maturely (currently, chino trousers; wedges on her little feet; a stylish top and a crop blazer and adorned with jewellery) and her nuanced usage of makeup made Natsume's heart swell, and his heart hadn't done that in a _long _time. Looking at photos was so, so, _so _different from looking at a person in flesh.

Whilst Natsume was poetic, in his head, complimenting and marvelling at how beautifully Mikan had grown up in these past two years, Mikan was feeling terribly self-conscious. She could feel his eyes burning into her as he gazed at her, thus, she couldn't help let out a rather obvious sigh of relief when she heard the door bell ring.

"I'll go get it," Mikan offered, immediately standing up, "it'll be the tea."

Natsume however stood up, "I can help you—"

"No." Mikan bit out, perhaps a bit harsher than it should have been. "I mean," she corrected herself, not apologising though, "I don't think it'll be a good idea if someone saw _us _in the same hotel room."

Of course what Mikan said was justified. The paparazzi had been waiting for a moment like this ever since they got wind that they had dated in the Academy two years ago. Not to mention, technically, the hotel didn't know that Natsume Hyuuga was staying here.

"Yes, you're right." Natsume sat back down, but his eyes followed her as she scurried her way to the front door, until he could not see her anymore (the wall cut his view off). In her absence, he rubbed his face and ran his left hand through his hair. _Pull yourself together for fuck's sake._

Mikan brushed the hair that was in her face before she opened the door. She could have not been more thankful for the interruption, thus she took her time—she took her time thanking the man, she took her time explaining to the man that she could bring in the tray in herself, she took her time closing the door behind her, she took her time bringing the tray of food and tea in, and she took her time as she laid out the tea, scones and sandwiches on the coffee table in front of the sofa.

"I hope you like earl grey tea," Mikan said once she was done, "and scones. And sandwiches." Natsume nodded, so Mikan added, "I've never stayed at the Marriot so I don't know if this will be any good, but you can't really go disastrously wrong with sandwiches or scones, right?"

Damn her ramble, but at least she wasn't stuttering anymore, she optimistically thought. Blatantly, the atmosphere was still dense between them but Mikan had calmed down since the moment she had laid eyes on him. Natsume on the other hand still seemed to be tense. Just by the fact that she, the girl he loved _so much_ was there in front of him, in such close proximity, even _speaking _to her was too much to take in at that current moment.

"One sugar and no milk, right?" Mikan double-checked, as she poured tea into both teacups.

Natsume immediately felt his heart swell even more as he realised that Mikan had _remembered _how he liked his tea. "Yes," he replied, breathily, "that's right."

Mikan nodded, and once she was done, she motioned for Natsume to take his teacup. That's when Mikan herself took the chance to look at Natsume Hyuuga _properly_ for the first time in two years, as his attention was finally elsewhere, and his eyes were not locked onto her.

He looked so _tired_, was her first thought, and she could have sworn that he seemed taller than he was (unless she had shrunk, which would have been just _brilliant_)before. But he was still good-looking, yet no longer did he possess that bad-boy swag he had in the Academy—he was not good-looking in the same way as he was before, was what she wanted to clarify. He was striking, no doubt about that, with his sharp cheekbones, and his slightly peaky colour, which contrasted harshly with his crimson eyes. Mikan also detected the faint aroma of cigarettes under the spicy, masculine smell of aftershave but before she could speculate and inspect him further, Natsume's eyes were back on her.

Mikan could only respond to that by blurting out what had been on her mind: "I don't mean to sound rude, but what are you doing here?"

Natsume opened his mouth, but then closed it.

"Why were you with Hotaru? What did she mean when—"

Natsume interrupted her, with the two words Mikan only thought could be said by Natsume in her dreams: "I'm sorry."

Mikan's brown eyes looked at him, round and vulnerable.

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so, _so _sorry." Mikan noted how at this point, Natsume was not only clenching his fists rather painfully, but his whole face seemed contorted with guilt. "I'm sorry. I . . . I fucked up. I'm sorry, Mikan." Mikan took a sharp intake of breath when he said her name. "I'm sorry."

Mikan didn't know how to react at all, and for a few seconds, she just sat there, silent. Natsume watched her, his heart pounding in chest, terrified to hear what she was to say in return to his apology. He was really expecting the worst, so when Mikan Sakura, after getting over the initial shock eleven seconds later started to lightly laugh, Natsume couldn't help furrow his eyebrows.

Then, a thought stuck him. Was she laughing at him? Making fun of his apology? Did she think he wasn't being serious? Feeling hurt by those thoughts, he felt his spirits dampening, but then Mikan finally spoke: "Excuse me. It was just . . . that this is just so bathetic! You do not know how long I have been waiting to hear that, so now that it's happened, here in the Marriot . . . feels like I'm dreaming." She threw him a small smile.

Natsume didn't know how to respond to that. Bathetic? An anti-climax? He felt disappointed, of course! For your apology to be called bathetic—that was definitely not a compliment. Yet Natsume did not let that get to him, or distract him, as he knew he had to apologise _properly_, as she had not said anything about forgiving him. Not to mention her smile at the end gave Natsume a small ray of hope. "Mikan," he rasped, "I need to tell you the truth—about everything that happened back then; about what I did—"

Mikan's interruption, to Natsume's dismay, was a cold one. "I don't need to know your reasons." Her eyes were slightly narrowed, and Natsume felt as if she had suddenly fortified her defences around her. "Besides," she shrugged, "I think I already know why you did what you did."

This surprised Natsume. "You do?"

"Yeah. You dumped me because you got what you wanted from me, right?" When Natsume furrowed his eyebrows, Mikan made herself clear by saying, rather in a blasé tone of voice, "You had sex with me, and that's all you wanted isn't it?"

She said it indifferently, and she had a rather uncaring mask on her face but inside, she felt herself crying as she remembered that day again. Mikan might have sounded as if she didn't care but _that_ really was a deep wound that took time to heal, because after all, that really was the only plausible excuse she could think of, of why Natsume Hyuuga broke up with her.

That's why Natsume's response surprised her. "What!" He cried in disbelief, his eyes hard and offended. "No, of course not!" Natsume couldn't believe what Mikan had just said, what she had just insinuated. If only she knew how wrong she was—

"Oh, I'm sorry if I offended you." Mikan sarcastically answered, scoffing slightly. Then, quite seriously she added, "What else was I supposed think?"

"You're wrong, Mikan. You're _so _wrong, Mikan." Natsume murmured, closing his eyes, shaking his head as he calmed down from his outburst. What Mikan said was completely reasonable, and he knew that. It was true; what else _was _she supposed to think when he broke up with her so cruelly the day after they slept together for the first time? "That's why I need to tell you the truth—"

Mikan sighed, "I'm over it, Hyuuga." Natsume felt his breath choke in his throat. "I don't care anymore—"

Instead of letting her words diminish his resolve to tell her the truth, Natsume unconsciously used it, and fed it to his desperate need to tell her the truth: "What if I tell you _I'm _not over it and I still care?"

That shut up her for a few seconds. "Excuse me?"

"Mikan." Natsume breathed in. "I love you."

The extent of Mikan's shock at that precise moment, in the Marriot Hotel, in Nagoya, in Japan, in Asia, in this world, was off the scales as far as Mikan was concerned. There she had been, cynically thinking Natsume Hyuuga was only there to apologise as he had only _just_ realised (after two bloody years) how much of a dick he had been thus when he had proclaimed that he _loved her_, it was hard to take it. Not to mention, added with factors that _he _had been the one to break up with _her_ made his statement seem fifty times more shocking. Let's not forget that Natsume Hyuuga had never actually said those words to her when they were going out.

It had only been her who had expressed such sentiments.

Mikan's mouth was agape, and she did not know what to say. She did not know how to respond to Natsume Hyuuga's confession.

"I'm sorry I never told you that on that day," Mikan felt her heart beat quicken to an unhealthy rate as Natsume spoke of their past, "and I'm _so _sorry for what did. I thought I was doing the right thing for _you_." Mikan couldn't help both her eyebrows rise in scepticism—for _her?_—oh, right, of course, breaking up with her like that was for her own good, oh, of _course. _"But I know better now, I do—"

That's when an incredulous thought came across Mikan. "Are you asking me to get back with you?" Mikan demanded, obviously aghast, her eyebrows now practically in her hairline.

Natsume grinded his molars for a second before he answered truthfully, "Essentially not yet, but fundamentally yes."

Mikan's jaw fell.

"But let me explain everything first—"

Yet again however, Mikan interrupted Natsume, now with a contemptuous smile twirling the corners of her mouth. "You know what's hilar_ious_?" Natsume paused, letting himself catch his breath, and finally realising how fast his own heart was beating, "If you had come to me with those words a year ago, I probably would have taken you back _without _your explanation, really. But Hyuuga," Natsume swallowed, not liking how she was still addressing him by his last name, and where this conversation seemed to be heading to, "I'm not that girl anymore." She fearlessly looked at him into his eyes, facing her fears if anything. "I mean, of course I _am _still me but I've changed . . . and so have my feelings towards you. I _can't _get back with you. I don't love you any more."

That exact sentence was what Natsume had been having nightmares about in the past two days, and now, his nightmare was a reality.

Mikan didn't love him anymore.

He had said to Hotaru that he gathered the fact that Mikan no longer loved him anymore, yet even when he said this, only part of him (a very small part of him in fact) actually believed it. So when Hotaru's words were confirmed, Natsume didn't know how to immediately react. Part of him wanted to cry right there and then; part of him wanted to fall to his knees and beg; part of him wanted to _shout _at her; part of him wanted to throw everything on the table to the floor yet the rational side dominated all of these selfish desires.

The rational side of him only let his absolute despair show only to an extent on his face and reminded him that he was here to tell her the truth and apologise.

Natsume thickly swallowed after he had opened his eyes, to say, "I understand," he had to clear his throat—his voice screamed defeat and was tragically cracked, "I understand. But Mikan, _please _let me explain? I understand that you don't want to hear my—"

"It's not a want, Hyuuga." Mikan desperately sighed, her eyes pitifully softening a bit. "It's just I don't _need _to know anymore. We were young—I was flippin' sixteen years old! What did I know anything about—"

Natsume quickly interrupted, "Fine." He did not want to hear what she had to say about her feelings towards him again, as after all, a heart could only tolerate so much pain in a day. "I get it. I _understand_ that you may not need to know, I really do Mikan, but _I _need to tell you everything. And I won't let you leave until I do."

Mikan looked into his eyes, knowing that he had meant what he had said.

Silence ensued for a few seconds, but it was broken by Mikan's soft exhale. ". . . You've changed."

It was a soft comment.

Equally as softly, Natsume answered, "So have you."

They continued to look at each other in this very gentle way, until Mikan exclaimed, "Alright. Let's hear this."

Ignoring the pain that was chewing viciously on his heart, Natsume nodded, knowing exactly what he had to say to her. Because despite the fact that she did not love him anymore, _he _still loved her dearly and he knew that she deserved the truth after these two years of silence.

**.0.**

For the next twenty minutes, it was only Natsume who spoke. Not once did Mikan interrupt him—all she did was blink and shift in her seat from time to time. Her lovely brown eyes were fixed upon him as he told her that it had been Ruka's text (informing Natsume of his parents' arrival in Tokyo) that made him leave so abruptly that morning; as he told her, and explained to her that he had tried desperately to call her; as he told her about Luna Koizumi's unwanted appearance; as he told her how Aoi defended had Mikan and what his father had said in response to that, and how that had ultimately ignited the fire to break up with Mikan. He had carefully explained it all, and he did add that despite his father's words, he should have not acted the way he did. He apologised again and again as Mikan felt clarity for the first time in two years concerning Natsume Hyuuga.

For many, many, _many _days Mikan had stayed up in bed wondering _why _Natsume Hyuuga had broken up with her, and here was the truth finally.

She had not forgotten about the secrets he had told her. She understood how much his father's words must have affected him yet a great deal of her wanted Natsume to apologise to her for the rest of his life regardless of this.

The pain she had gone through . . .

To the cameras, she might have been all smiles and happiness for these past two years, but of course the whole world did not seem to realise that she still a human being who went through bad days just as everybody else. Her 'perfect' life was only a term fabricated by the ignorant—her life was in no way tinted in rose as some described—the camera only managed to capture her life superficially.

"I'm so sorry, Mikan." Natsume apologised genuinely _again. _

Mikan didn't reply, instead, she reached forward to take a sandwich from the table—the tea had long gone cold and the food had been forgotten until then—and popped it into her mouth. Natsume saw how her dimples appeared at every chew she made, and felt the pain he had been numbing for the past twenty minutes as he explained fade away.

"Mikan, I love you."

Natsume didn't realise he had said his thoughts out loud, until she looked up at him.

Despite the fact Mikan did to extent want Natsume to grovel, she did accept that he _did _have reasons to do what he had done that day in May. Part of her even wanted to _hug _him and fly to Sapporo to kick Mr. Hyuuga's arse. Yet she couldn't help _guiltily _look down to the floor after giving a fleeting glance into his direction. "I don't feel the same about you . . ."

He tried again, wishing for a different response: "I love you _so much_."

Mikan opted to look up at the ceiling, resting her neck on the sofa, as she felt _tears _rise to her eyes. She had to look up to prevent them from falling. She didn't exactly why she was reacting like this—any sane person wouldn't, after all. Any sane person after hearing the truth would perhaps just leave. They definitely would _not _be crying in the situation, she was sure of it. But the nights that immediately followed their break-up, she had spent them dreaming of him saying 'I love you' to her, and now, in 2010, here he was doing _exactly _that, two years late."I can't believe this happening . . ." she whispered. She continued just to look up, before her emotions calmed down and she reached the level of being a _sane _person. Mikan looked at Natsume, and announced, "I forgive you, Natsume." Natsume's breath got stuck in his throat when he heard her say his name and heard her say she accepted his apology, "I want to put the past behind me, and I don't think I'll be able to do so without forgiving you." She reasoned calmly. "But I will forgive you _only _in the condition you apologise to both Sumire and Aoi."

Natsume nodded, "I will. I promise. As soon as I'm back in Tokyo."

Mikan smiled, please with his words. "I think you'll need to have a long talk with them . . . especially with Aoi."

Natsume nodded again before adding, "I was thinking about asking Aoi to come to Sapporo with me in the autumn or something. I need to go up there to settle some business."

Warmly she smiled at his statement; "That sounds lovely."

And at that moment, Mikan felt she had nothing more to say to Natsume Hyuuga. The questions that had tormented her were finally answered—it was _over._

"I best be going now, Natsume. But thank you for telling me everything."

Regardless of the fact that Natsume had accepted her dissimilar sentiments towards him, when he heard her say that she was to go, his resolve of convincing her otherwise immediately hardened, especially when she stood up. Like a reflex action, he too stood up, and he couldn't help his arm reach out to her and grab hold of the wrist. His actions surprised both himself and Mikan, momentarily on his part, before he begged, "Please don't go."

Mikan inhaled. "I'm having dinner with the Imais." was her answer, "Hotaru's waiting for me. I can't stay here." Her voice was not distant as it had been at the beginning—she was speaking softly to him.

Natsume surprised her yet again however, this time, by climbing over the low coffee table, to reach her to ultimately _hug _her. Mikan's first reaction was to squeak when she felt his strong arms, which were so familiar yet alien to her at the time, encase her small body. He knotted his hand around her tightly, as if he were afraid she would disappear into thin air. He was so tall—her head, which was squished into his body, only reached his chest, making Natsume roughly two heads taller than her. The spicy scent filled her nose, alongside with the definite smell of cigarettes (which caused Mikan to briefly wonder what he had been doing these past two years—she had no idea) as he embraced her, and then she felt it. Mikan felt Natsume's fast-paced heartbeat through his tee-shirt.

Natsume bent his neck, lowering his head towards her head, and Mikan heard Natsume almost fiercely whisper into her hair, "I bought your album. The songs—they were about me." What he said was a statement, not a question.

"Yes Natsume," Mikan softly answered back into his chest, speaking loud enough so he could hear her response, "they were. I wrote them after it all happened."

"Do you know how many songs I've written about you?" Natsume continued, his voice still in that same fiercely passionate manner. "Over hundreds of unfinished ones and seventeen finished ones. _All about you_."

Natsume was pouring his heart out to Mikan—he was telling Mikan a secret he had never told his friends before. Whilst the media had just recently gotten wind about his song, _Just A Dream_, they (the press) did not know that Natsume selling his songs to artists was not a new thing, and nor did his friends. Mikan could only react to that by widening her eyes initially, but it was unseen by Natsume. She was surprised to hear of such thing, as she hadn't heard that _Crimson Abyss _had released any new songs in the past two years, not to mention it wasn't everyday somebody told you they had written a song—_songs , _in her case—about you. She expressed her astonishment to his confession by blurting out a pathetic, "What?"

At this point, Mikan forced Natsume's grip on her to loosen by pushing her hands against his chest, only so that she could see his face.

Natsume answered her unasked question for her (why she hadn't heard of any releases from his band) before she managed to voice it, as he looked down desperately into her eyes, "The seventeen songs I finished—I sold them to other artists." Mikan's eyes widened. "O'course, some of the artists tweaked them a bit to fit their genre."

"You wrote songs about me?" Mikan couldn't help ask that. "What kind?" She prayed they weren't like _Crimson Abyss_'s song, _All The Right Moves_, which had been a huge slap in the face for her and caused her many droplets of tears. Mikan couldn't help but ask the question—honestly, the question had slipped out of her mouth before she even realised she was thinking such a thing—despite everything, she just _needed to know. _

"_Broken _got the most attention. And _Iris_."

Mikan had of course heard these two songs before, which had shot straight up to the top of the charts and lingered there for weeks upon their release. She loved both these songs. "By _Lighthouse _and _The BooHoo Dolls_?" she inquired, just to check.

Natsume nodded. "_I _wrote them. _Iris _was initially called _Mikan_," Mikan took a very sharp intake of breath, "but Ren," who was the leader of _The BooHoo Dolls_, "changed it to Iris because that's his girlfriend's name."

Mikan couldn't believe it. She allowed his words and his confessions to swirl in her mind for a few seconds, before a question finally broke her reverie, "Why didn't _you _release them? Why did you sell them off? I thought singing was your dream, Natsume."

Natsume gazed into Mikan's small face. He knew exactly where her dimples would appear if she were to smile and he took in her cute beauty spot that lied on the heart of her upper lip that he loved so much. Just looking at her made Natsume's arms tighten around her a bit. "I thought it was too for a while." And that was the truth. Singing was no longer Natsume's priority anymore.

Mikan continued to look at him after his declaration in such a way, that it caused Natsume to ask, "You did once though, right?"

Mikan furrowed her eyebrows; "I did once what?"

"You did once love me, right?"

Mikan blinked, taken by surprise by Natsume's very direct and intimate question. Yet she did not lie to him, nor did she withhold any information when she replied, with a melancholic smile on her face, "I did love you, Natsume, very much." Her voice was soft, so, so, _so _soft, and Natsume was to say something, but then she added, "But that ships sailed now."

He wanted to just kiss her. He wanted to tighten his arms around her and never let her go.

But she was over him.

She had made that clear.

Natsume felt his resolve finally crumble, and his heart contort in pain and dejection. "I understand." was his hoarse reply, as he finally loosened his arms around the girl he loved so very much.

He let her go.

It was all over.

**.0.**

(play) **Iridescent  
Linkin Park  
**

_You were standing in the wake of devastation  
And you were waiting on the edge of the unknown  
And with the cataclysm raining down  
Insides crying "Save me now"  
You were there, impossibly alone_

Natsume had sat numbly in 563, on the armchair after Mikan's departure for nearly an hour straight. He couldn't, at that time, move or do anything he felt so hopelessly heartbroken.

Mikan had forgiven him, that was true, but that was it.

Perhaps this was that bitch that everybody talked about—_karma. This was what he got by messing with it. _

_Do you feel cold and lost in desperation?  
You build up hope, but failure's all you've known  
Remember all the sadness and frustration  
And let it go. Let it go_

He had blindly and wishfully thought that perhaps Mikan could do _more _than forgive him after his confession. Yet there he was in the hotel room, the clock continuously ticking towards eight o'clock in the evening.

And it was when the clock read eight o'clock, Natsume that he realized couldn't stay in the room for any longer and that he had to get out, and go home to Tokyo. He couldn't possibly be alone in this room when all that accompanied him was this horrible feeling of heartbreak.

After all, there was no reason to stay in Nagoya now that Mikan had left.

_And in a burst of light that blinded every angel  
As if the sky had blown the heavens into stars  
You felt the gravity of tempered grace  
Falling into empty space  
No one there to catch you in their arms_

It went against his plan with Hotaru Imai (who had bought a return ticket for Natsume to leave tomorrow), but five minutes after he realized this, he was changed back into his disguise, his carry-on zipped and he closed the door to his hotel room behind him. Despite the fact that the hotel clerk downstairs seemed unhappy that he was leaving his room thus the hotel, when it was to be checked-out tomorrow, didn't faze Natsume, and without complaining, Natsume paid the hotel to compensate for his early departure.

Even at the station Natsume had to pay more money, as the station administrator refused to exchange Natsume's return ticket for another to depart that night. But Natsume obliged again, and just paid for another ticket, putting the one for tomorrow in the bin.

_Do you feel cold and lost in desperation?  
You build up hope, but failure's all you've known  
Remember all the sadness and frustration  
And let it go. Let it go_

The train journey back home, as Natsume pressed his forehead on the window, was the loneliest Natsume had ever felt. Natsume blindly watched the scenery, dipped in the colour of the night-sky, flash past him and an hour and a half of just sitting there looking outside blankly didn't tire Natsume out. The tell-tale sign that he was back in Tokyo however was evident a few minutes before his arrival, as the outside world, as the train speed closer to Tokyo, seemed to be fighting against the night sky with artificial brightness—the light of city of blinding lights, Tokyo.

_Do you feel cold and lost in desperation?  
You build up hope, but failure's all you've known  
Remember all the sadness and frustration  
And let it go. Let it go_

_Let it go  
Let it go  
Let it go  
Let it go_

_Do you feel cold and lost in desperation?  
You build up hope, but failure's all you've known  
Remember all the sadness and frustration  
And let it go._

_Let it go_

It was over.

**.0.**

It was past ten-thirty when the door bell to their apartment rang. Ruka glanced over at Koko and Kitsune-me, with questioning eyes, and when they both silently replied by shrugging, Ruka sighed and stood up, knowing that the other two never would with the television on.

"Sorry, mate," Koko sheepishly grinned, motioning to the television, "but it's just getting to the good part!"

The three were all watching a detective mystery murder movie on television, which featured the beautiful actress Yuri Miyazono that evening.

Ruka pointedly sighed, inducing Kitsune-me to throw him a rather uncaring, amused apology, before he made his way to the front door. As he walked to it, he couldn't help but wonder who had rang the door bell, at this time at night, as none of them were expecting company in their apartment. Ruka smiled however when he saw Hachi was already on the case, sniffing the small crack beneath the front door, and the fact that Hachi wasn't barking, was an indication to Ruka that whoever rang the doorbell was somebody Hachi knew.

Ruka opened the door, "Ye—Natsume?"

Natsume smiled, albeit tiredly, "Hey. I'm home."

**.0.**

Natsume's arrival caused both Koko and Kitsune-me to quicklyturn off the television, which clearly illustrated the importance the put upon Natsume, as they immediately forgot about the show when they heard Ruka's exclaimation at the door. Their thoughts were now saturated with Natsume.

Once Natsume was done dumping his bag in his room, he was sitting on the kitchen table with his friends, with a cup of cold oolong tea in front of him.

All his friends eagerly looked at him, as Natsume took a sip of his drink. "You all look like interviewers," Natsume commented in an amused tone, with a crooked boyish smile on his face, as he put his cup down.

They all lightly laughed, and for a minute or two they four boys found themselves bantering with one another, but Koko could not help his curiousity get the better of him: "I thought you were coming back tomorrow?"

"Why?" Natsume smirked. "You're not happy to see me?"

"Of course I am, plonker!" Koko answered, smiling, but then added with a bit of hesitancy, "I just thought you ticket was for tomorrow? I mean, that's what Imai said . . ."

"How did it go?" Ruka questioned, directly quite fearlessly. "With Mikan, I mean."

Natsume had been wearing a mask ever since he arrived home—he wanted to act brave, and didn't want his friends to see him upset about what had just passed a few hours ago, especially as he knew that it had all really happened because of them. He was so grateful to his friends for giving him such an opportunity of course - not _only _for giving him a chanceto apologise and see Mikan but for also opening his eyes finally. Yet when his best friend asked that, he knew he had to be truthful, despite the fact that the truth often hurt.

"She forgave me." He answered, with very subtle smile on his face.

Immediately, the three boys' face lit up and crinkled as they smiled in happiness, but they before they could congratulate Natsume in any way, Natsume added, "But Imai was right. She doesn't love me anymore."

Repeating that, made him wince involuntarily.

After four seconds of stunned silence, the very small, genuine answers of the boys came. "We're sorry, Natsume." Despite his façade, the boys knew how much this really must have crushed him, because the three boys knew more than anybody else the extent of Natsume's love towards Mikan.

Natsume after all loved Mikan with all his heart.

Ruka was indeed shocked at Natsume's confession that Mikan didn't love him however, as he had truly believed otherwise; Koko though, as much as he hated to admit it, wasn't that surprised (of course, he was truly sorry for Natsume though), whilst Kitsune-me was right dead in the middle of the two feelings.

"Please, don't pity me." Natsume asked of them, as he glanced at all of them. "But thank you all for doing everything you did for me. Really."

Natsume was sincere, the boys could see and hear that, and they accepted his gratitude quite happily, commenting, "You're our friend. What else did you want us to do?"

No matter however, it was all over with Mikan. But an ending did mean a new beginning, and Natsume felt finally that perhaps a chapter to his life was finally to be finished soon. There was only one thing left to do, and after that, he could start afresh.

"Natsume?" Ruka caught the attention of his best friend after their mindless chatter, which lasted for nearly ten minutes. Just by the tentative manner he had called his name, Natsume knew he was going to ask something about _that_. Something that he had announced a few days before, shocking the boys beyond belief. Something that when dealt with would close this chapter for good—as it was after all, the last thing left to do. "Were you serious? About what you said before?"

Koko and Kitsune-me held their breaths with Ruka as the three of them, with all such different eyes, gazed at Natsume, waiting for his answer.

"Yes." Natsume confirmed after a pause. "Yes, I am. Let's leave Serio Record's."

The three all inhaled sharply.

That was the last thing Natsume had to do. Natsume was planning to carry out Persona's threat of dropping them, by breaking the blood contract that tied _Crimson Abyss _together with Persona himself and voluntarily. The blood contract that caused him to store up much of his guilt, and that was used as a shield to cover up his dark secret. Natsume was ready to be judged for his disgusting actions by the nation, and if that truly meant that he was to be alienated by the world as a result, then so be it as he was done with withholding all the guilt. Natsume knew that doing such thing also meant losing everything he had left—his career, his reputation, his fans—but he felt that it was right thing to do; perhaps the _only _right thing he would ever do.

He needed to let his past go if ever wanted to change.

**.0.**

**End of Chapter Forty**

**.0.**

**A/N: **

_Iris_ by the _Goo Goo Dolls_  
_Broken_ by _Lifehouse_

Those are the two songs, which were 'written' by Natsume in this story (obviously not in real life) which do not belong to me in any way. Check them out, they're great.

And thank you so much to _**Ted **_who reviewed my story, with the suggestion of the song _**Iridescent **_by_** Linkin Park. **_


	45. Unexpected Turn of Events

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Alice Gakuen peeps.

**.0.**

**My Happy Ending  
**_**by Little Miss Giggle**_

**.0.**

**Chapter Forty-One: Unexpected Turn of Events**

**.0.**

_What am I supposed to do when the best part of me was always you?  
And what am I supposed to say when I'm all choked up and you're ok?  
I'm falling to pieces, yeah,  
I'm falling to pieces._

—Breakeven, The Script

**.0.**

Closing the door of room 563 behind her, Mikan let out a very small and shaky sigh, and gently shut her eyes close. She found it very, very hard however to let go of the door handle, and stayed glued in the same position (standing, holding the handle of room 563) for at least twenty seconds before she forcefully tore her gaze away from the door, which she knew Natsume Hyuuga was behind. Mikan herself couldn't immediately explain why she acted like that, scared to let go, nor could she explain (without lying) why she was walking, so slowly down the corridor of the hotel, away from Natsume and towards the elevator, as if she were wishing somebody would run after her.

Yet there were no footsteps and nobody came, and before she knew it, the doors of the elevator transported her to a different level, which to her, felt like a different world away from Natsume.

Mikan's heart was beating fast, terribly so, as the façade she had established and maintained for the past hour, or so, in front of Natsume was finally crumbling down and her heart was slowly returning to its original place—on her sleeve. Her heart had buried itself far down in his presence for protection, yet, she felt on some occasions it had pushed its way up.

Natsume Hyuuga was so different.

Mikan was walking rather mindlessly in the lobby, unsure and confused, but then, a cold hand touched her shoulder. Mikan quickly turned around, and saw Hotaru-dismissing immediately the faint feeling of disappointment she felt. "Hotaru . . ."

"Mikan," Hotaru smiled, "let's go."

Mikan followed Hotaru, yet just before she was about to step out into the hot streets of Nagoya, Mikan exclaimed, "Wait, I didn't pay for the tea sets—"

"I've paid already, don't worry. Let's go home." She firmly stated, before asking Mikan where she parked her car. Hotaru firmly noted how dazed Mikan looked as she replied, and directed Hotaru in her car's direction, yet Hotaru felt such reactions would be inevitable—Mikan was, probably, still processing what had just happened. Hotaru offered to drive, and Mikan without complaint agreed to this.

Both Hotaru and Mikan clambered into the car once Mikan had unlocked it, and when Hotaru was doing up her seatbelt, Mikan finally cracked (another thing, Hotaru had predicted would happen sooner or later): "Did that really just happen?" Mikan demanded, before she turned to Hotaru to continue, "Did I just see _Natsume Hyuuga?_ Did he just tell me that he _loves me? _Hotaru! Am I dreaming or something?"

In attempt to calm her best friend down, Hotaru reached over and hugged Mikan tightly. Feeling Hotaru's steady pulse, Mikan felt her's slow down albeit gradually, and when Hotaru's arms were not around her any more, Hotaru said, "I'll explain everything on the way home, alright? You're not dreaming, Mikan, he did really come to apologise."

Taking her word for it, Mikan stayed silent, feeling a bit dizzy and listened to what Hotaru had to say.

**.0.**

They were nearly home when Hotaru had finished explaining what had been happening back at Tokyo these past few days. She told Mikan the surprise appearance of the boys, Aoi's confession (which tied in, Mikan mentally noted, on what Natsume had just told her, thus, the truth about what had happened that day, after he had left her in the hotel) and even Natsume's state. Hotaru did not leave anything out; she told Mikan what the boys had informed her, hence, the truth that Natsume had become quite a internet-stalker of Mikan and of his recent taking of drugs.

"Natsume _uses?_" Mikan had double-checked.

"Well, he told me he's been clean for the past days . . ."

It had taken a few seconds to process that information too, but when she recalled Natsume's appearance in the hotel and that very dense smell of tobacco, all of a sudden, it didn't seem so surprising anymore.

"Why is he doing all this to himself?" Mikan quietly mumbled, upset and scared, as Hotaru turned left, to their hometown.

"Guilt, I suppose. Depression too."

Mikan bit her lips together, looked up, and breathed rather heavily through her nose. She however pulled herself together rather quickly and added, "He looked so weak it was unbelievable. Honestly, it scared me too, I mean, I'm so used to seeing him act so confident and blasé, you know . . . but tonight, he completely opened his heart to me and I just . . ." Her sentence died, along with her voice pathetically, and with a frustrated tone.

With her peripheral vision, Hotaru managed to catch a fleeting guilty expression pass Mikan's face. "Mikan," Hotaru gently sighed, "you've forgiven him. I know you're surprised, and still shocked now by his different appearance and attitude but just by you forgiving him is more than enough. You did him a great favour, and you don't need to hand him anymore, especially one's you don't want to give." Condensed and simplified, Hotaru was saying that Mikan shouldn't feel culpable by the fact she didn't return his feelings and take him back.

Mikan nodded, "I know. But for the moment . . . I just don't feel any relief at all. I don't even know if I've done the right thing."

Hotaru was a bit surprised by her honest confession, but reigned that emotion in and just replied, "Obviously you'd be feeling like that—you haven't seen him for the past two years. You weren't prepared."

That was true—Mikan did feel that if she had known she were to meet Natsume Hyuuga, she would have prepared herself emotionally by remembering all the wrongs he had done to her. Yet with such little notice, it made it easy for the good, amazing cherished memories to leak out. But then again, she could have _never _been fully prepared. "I suppose it was better that way . . . that's why you sprung it up on me, right?"

Hotaru nodded. "Aoi also said she wants all this to end. Everybody agreed, and so did I. And I'm sure, you too."

Mikan gave a murmur in response, before she focused her gaze on the green outside. "It was all just so bathetic," Mikan admitted after a minute of silence, "I mean . . . I never expected to hear a sorry for him anyway, but even if I did, it was definitely not in a situation like that."

"It's okay, Mikan. It's all over now."

Mikan sent a smile to her best friend. "Thank you, Hotaru."

"Thank the girls too—calling them might do good to their hearts; they were all really worried about you."

"I will." Mikan promised. "I'll call them as soon as we're at yours."

Things however, did not feel over at all for Mikan, and despite Hotaru's words (which were all logical and straightforward) she felt it lacked feeling. After all, only she would really be able to understand what Natsume's words had meant to her—his apology, his confession, and his pleading hope and wish for a second chance at their relationship—they all meant something greater to her, than they did to Hotaru when she told her best friend what Natsume had just said. All Mikan wanted to do at that point was to go home and listen to _Iris _and _Broken _in bed. Mikan really didn't know if she had done the right thing—it was as if everything she had kept inside had finally found its way out after seeing Natsume, after forgiving him.

"We're here." Hotaru informed Mikan who seemed worlds away as Hotaru parked the car, in front of Hotaru's house (dinner at the Imai's!).

"Oh, right!" Mikan abruptly laughed. Pulling herself out of her thoughts as she stepped out the car, Mikan's own rational mind could not believe what had mind had been contemplating for a second or two—it had been contemplating a relationship with Natsume again! She should have been over that; she even said to Natsume herself that that ship had sailed. Why was she toying with the idea? Mikan had to remember that things were not simply—life was not a pretty Disney movie, it had complications.

Besides, she was over him.

It was . . . just seeing him that made memories and these strange thoughts surface, she concluded, even if she no longer felt like that. Natsume was just the catalyst, nothing more, and with that thought Mikan tried to forget these familiar feelings _all over again_, yet this time with the hopeful aspect that they (Natsume and Mikan) were on equal terms; he had apologized and she had forgiven him.

And that was that.

**.0.**

**September 2010**

**.0.**

The summer days were all now a blurry haze, yet remnants remained, which included the memories, the heat to an extent and Sumire's very golden tan. Mikan was back in Tokyo by the end of August, and she had settled very nicely in her new apartment with Hotaru. Yes, of course, they sometimes fought over the remote and complained about each other's cooking from time to time, but it all inevitably ended in laughter.

Come September however and Mikan's schedule became very busy, considering the fact that her first national tour was starting in just less than a month's time. Her schedule was crammed with rehearsals, dress rehearsals, meetings with companies, make-up artist, tour-buses . . . the list went on and on, yet Mikan refused to complain and took it all with a smile and her optimistic attitude.

Of course this meant that she had little to no time to see her friends (Hotaru, living with her, naturally did of course), yet the girls had had a huge catch-up (which lasted a whole day) at Mikan and Hotaru's apartment when Mikan had returned from Nagoya in the late-Summer, to talk about matters concerning the past.

Of course, it was not all about the past, thus 2008, yet also about the present, thus 2010—Mikan explained in great detail what had happened in Nagoya, in the hotel room of the Mariott. Of course, she had told them what had happened on the phone, yet it wasn't enough. A face-to-face explanation was better, and Mikan did not miss anything out—she did not make the same mistake twice; she told her friends everything this time.

Including the strange feeling she had felt after she said goodbye to Natsume, a feeling that strongly wanted to do more than forgive him.

Talks also including both Sumire and Aoi saying that Natsume Hyuuga had called each other them respectively, to apologise for the wrongs he had done them in the past. Sumire very happily said that Natsume had promised to take her out for a coffee one day to discuss matters and put the past besides them—"You can tell he's grown up. I'm happy for him.", she had informed. Aoi too said she had received an invite as well as an apology from her brother on the phone, for dinner at an expensive restaurant in September respectively. "That's great!" Mikan had smiled, at the both of them, whilst sending good vibes at Natsume, pleased and thankful he had kept his promise.

With Aoi, it's noteworthy too that Mikan had an extra afternoon with her alone to discuss matters that had to be settled between the two of them. They supposed it was because Aoi was the sister of Natsume, and Mikan, the girl Natsume Hyuuga loved. It was Aoi who had initiated it, and she began it by profusely apologizing to Mikan for keeping silent about that lunch (the day that everything changed), yet Mikan could only laugh in reply, claiming, "If anybody kept their mouth shut, it was me!" One could hardly say they forgave each other then as they were equally not angry at each other to begin with. Mikan was just genuinely happy for Aoi's relationship with Natsume, which was in the process of building back up again after years of miscommunication, anger, hurt and guilt. It was a tough process, but Natsume's dedication to fix it all helped.

Mikan had not seen Natsume since then. There had still be no news of him in the media, the only times she heard of him was through Aoi, or by listening to his songs, which she had been doing quite a lot recently. She had forgotten how lovely his voice was, as for the past two years she had forbade herself to give into the temptation of searching him on Youtube. Now, however, now that she had forgiven him, she saw no reason to do such thing to herself, and soon her most replayed playlist consisted of _Crimson Abyss_' songs and the songs Natsume had written for her.

. . .

It was a bright, crisp September's morning, the 29th of September at eleven o'clock to be exact, when Mikan and Hotaru both together stepped into _Tallulah's _down the road to meet their friends for brunch. _Tallulah_'s was just a street down from Aoi's place with Youichi that had very buttery croissants on display, and this was not their first time they had been here for brunch.

Immediately, the two best friends spotted their friends sitting and the table by the window and made their way towards them.

"Sorry we're late," Hotaru said, as soon as she girls had finished with their whole kiss-each-other-on-the-cheeks-as-a-hello routine, "_this _one over here had a bit of a late start to the day."

"Oh, poor you!" Anna cooed, to Mikan, "You said on the phone you were tired from all the rehearsals. Are you okay?"

Mikan dismissively waved her hand with a smile, "Completely!"

Hotaru however snorted, and revealed, "She's only so tired this morning as she stayed up until two o'clock in the morning watching a movie." The girls all laughed at this piece of information, and Mikan went a peachy shade, as she laughed along, attempting to defend herself at the same time: "It was a good movie!"

Mindless chatter continued, even after the waitor had asked for their orders (and autographs), and it was only until each girl had a plate of food in front of them when Aoi announced, "Oh, I completely forgot to say, Natsume's invited me to Sapporo with him!"

"How lovely!" they commented (even Hotaru smiled at Aoi, knowing her usual reactions would not be taken lightly when they were treading on land which was still not exactly stable) and Mikan couldn't help but also inquire, "What's the occasion?"

"Well, Natsume said, on the phone yesterday that he has an important meeting up in Sapporo—it won't just be me and him though. Ruka and the others are going to come too." _Just like old times, _Aoi thought with a smile.

Mikan brightly smiled. "That's great!" Then, it hit her faster than a train: "Wait, I'm going to be in Sapporo too! For my concert," she explained, and immediately the girls all caught on, "—when are you going up? Anytime in November by any chance?"

"Yes!" Aoi confirmed, her eyes bubbling with excitement, yet the dimmed down when she added, "Late November though, around Natsume's birthday."

Mikan purposefully ignored Aoi's information about it being around his birthday, thus the day everything started to go wrong for Natsume, by saying, "Well, I think my concert there is on the 16th of November, but I'll ask if I could stay around in Sapporo before making my way back down to Sendai for my concert there in December. Then, then, then, _then_," she excitedly continued, "you could take me around and take me to eat ramen!"

Aoi promised Mikan she'd do that, and the other girls couldn't help mentally applaud Mikan's way of directing the conversation away from Natsume's birthday. It was not as if they would deny it, or sugarcoat it, it was just it was too early in the morning to talk about such serious matters, and it was better to let Aoi be happy than to remind her of pains. Yet, that all came to a stop when Hotaru commented, pretending to be oblivious to Mikan's attempt, "That's surprising though." When the girls looked at Hotaru, with questioning eyes she answered: "You know, that he'd want to go to Sapporo around his birthday."

Hotaru was just inquisitive by nature—they all knew that.

"Maybe he wants to go there for closure?" Sumire very sensibly suggested, without a moment of hesitation. "Now that he's sorted things out with Aoi and Mikan?"

"You're probably looking at this too deeply, Hotaru," Nonoko also reasoned, as Hotaru seemed rather unconvinced by Sumire's suggestion, "Aoi said that Natsume told her he's going there for a meeting. That's all to it."

"Either way, I'll be there so it'll be _fun!_" Mikan declared, whilst nudging Aoi, making them all giggle like silly pre-teens, and Hotaru drop the subject whilst picking up her croissant. Yet whilst they contently ate their brunch, the girls had no idea of the significance this 'meeting' Natsume talked about actually had in fact like Hotaru Imai did.

The girls figured that because they had now talked it all out and by the truth that there were no secrets between them now, they all felt prepared for anything, really. However, they were by no means prepared for what was to come, and be published the very next day on the 30th of September.

**.0.**

_**Tokyo Times  
Issue 295286  
Date: 30**__**th**__** September 2010**_

**Boyband Crimson Abyss breaks from Serio Records!**

Famous boyband, _Crimson Abyss, _have announced they are leaving notorious Serio Persona's Record Label by the end of next month, very unexpectedly, leaving fans in a state of shock, and even anger due to the obvious fact that they have not released anything new since their graduation two years ago . . . _read more on page 6!_

_**Grazia  
Issue 29186  
Date: 1**__**st**__** October 2010**_

**Dark secrets of the past emerge!  
**No doubt, the whole of Japan was in shock when news came out that the boyband, _Crimson Abyss, _were leaving the highly acclaimed record company of Serio Persona, yet news more shocking, and even horrifying facts of the past emerge on their departure—the internet is buzzing with talk of Natsume Hyuuga, _Crimson Abyss' _leader, actually committing a crime just before signing a contract with Serio Records as police have now released files, which had been under confidentiality, into light . . . _read more on page 27!_

_**Good morning, Tokyo  
Issue 82748  
Date: 2**__**nd**__** October 2010**_

**Natsume Hyuuga to be prosecuted!  
**The recent rumour of Natsume Hyuuga of _Crimson Abyss_, to have been the one responsible for the life-threatening fire (which nearly ended his sister's life—_see picture below_) has been confirmed to be true. Taking into consideration that underage drinking was also involved, as well as the destruction of property, Natsume Hyuuga, as of yesterday by the prefecture of Sapporo is to be prosecuted for his actions taken place at his own house on his fifteenth birthday . . . _see more on page 14!_

_**Good morning, Tokyo  
Issue 82749  
Date: 3**__**rd**__** October 2010**_

**The Blood Contract  
**The last few days have been buzzing about Natsume Hyuuga and the crimes he committed in the past. _Crimson Abyss _has lost most of its fans due to the truth emerging of Natsume Hyuuga's very dark past. Many, of course, wondered how such a huge, and terribly serious case was kept under the hush-hush for so long, yet last night, it seems as if that case too has been solved. A contract was written up by Natsume Hyuuga's very own father, Takeshi Hyuuga and Serio Persona himself—a contract whereupon Natsume, who at the time was 15 (_look at photo below: Natsume Hyuuga, Ruka Nogi, Kitsune Me and Kokoro Yomi all at the age of fifteen)_, would go under Serio Records on the condition that Serio Persona would provide the higher authority sufficient sums of money to keep crimes Natsume committed a secret by bribery. A secrecy, which as of the 30th of September has been terminated (due to _Crimson Abyss' _leave from Serio Records), was also involved, which forbade anybody involved or present at the scene of say anything or reveal the truth. _Crimson Abyss' _contract with Serio Records, thus, has now been dubbed 'The Blood Contract' and many are appalled by Serio Persona and Takeshi Hyuuga's actions. Many even voice their disgust at the members of _Crimson Abyss _themselves, who agreed to sign such a Blood Contract in the first place.  
What the future has in store for _Crimson Abyss _is still unclear, as despite the fact they have stated they will be leaving Serio Records (and no more said), they have not stated they as a band will disband, though, one can only assume that not my success will shine their path considering the situation.  
Takeshi Hyuuga (_below)_, the father and lawyer, is too to be prosecuted along with Serio Persona (_to the left_) for corruption and failure to report to a police in a correct, just manner. The damage and dent this will leave on Serio Records is incontrovertible. The two refuse to comment on the subject, along with _Crimson Abyss_, and have all respectively kept a low profile since the 30th of September, especially in consideration with the event that occurred on the 1st of October: Natsume Hyuuga was hounded by a disgusted crowd that shouted slurs at him on his way to the convenience store once they recognized him.  
Of course, there is great speculation to why _Crimson Abyss _broke off with Serio Records in the first place, as it was such action that has caused all of this. The remaining fans of _Crimson Abyss, _(which is very small compared to what the fanbase used to be) in fact applaud _Crimson Abyss_ for breaking off themselves, and claim that perhaps they couldn't stand the contract themselves and had to free themselves from it, yet most of the noise we hear are of outrage, betrayal and disgust.  
Is the end of _Crimson Abyss? _The end of Natsume Hyuuga? No doubt the future does not seem too bright for him.

**.0.**

**End of Chapter Forty-One**

**.0.**


	46. The Finale

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Gakuen Alice.

**.0.**

**My Happy Ending**  
_**by Little Miss Giggle**_

**.0.**

**Chapter Forty-Two: The Finale**

**.0.**

_I'm not a perfect person  
There's many things I wish I didn't do  
But I continue learning  
I never meant to do those things to you  
And so I have to say before I go  
That I just want you to know_

_I've found a reason for me  
To change who I used to be  
A reason to start over new  
And the reason is you_

— The Reason  
Hoobastank

_**.**_**0.**

November was less than a week away, and the weather was turning grey and cold. Ruka, from the window, which looked over the city, gazed rather blankly outside, watching with tired eyes the sun rise, slowly yet surely over Tokyo. Tearing his eyes away from the world outside, the cruel world, Ruka looked into the depth of his apartment (that he shared with his friends). Koko and Kitsune-me were sleeping in their rooms respectively, yet on the couch, slept Natsume Hyuuga.

Life had been rough on the boys for the whole of October, so far, and Ruka knew very well things would stay this way until the hearing was over and even some time after then. The past weeks had been filled with meetings after meetings—meetings had been a common occurrence ever since Natsume announced, back in the Summer, he wanted to break from Serio Records, as after that followed meetings with Tobita Yuu, their manager, and Serio Persona. Soon, Takeshi Hyuuga came into the picture, and when Persona and Takeshi's negotiations (plea, more like) failed (for the band not to break), things turned dark as they turned to threatening _Crimson Abyss. _

It was done, however. They were no longer part of Serio Records, and the whole world now knew of their felony and could openly call them all a disgrace.

The effect it had on the Serio Records could not be underestimated and Takeshi Hyuuga's reputation as a moral lawyer who fought in the name of justice was now in flames, ironically. The two were also to be prosecuted, yet for reasons of corruption, which seemed less serious, in comparison to something that could have robbed someone's life.

The boys were drained from the past few weeks. They had all become hermits, to a great extent, especially after Natsume was hounded viciously just down the streets earlier in October. The only time they went out was at night, to a rather dingy recording studio down in Kichijoji which they rented (of course, they were no longer entitled to use Serio Record's swanky studio), along with Yuu.

Natsume, by far, was the most condemned, and his hearing's date was set: 20th of November, scheduled in Sapporo. Natsume, since the summer, and still now daily was apologizing to the boys for everything that was happening as he felt responsible for it, and selfish to a great extent. Selfish, because it was he who initiated the break, and he who was determined to make it happen. The boys, however, understood and stood besides Natsume, a place they had been occupying since everything happened anyway. Besides, despite the fact they now right in the centre of storm, they knew that they were doing the right thing, as the contract to begin with _was_, as the press said, a blood contract.

This was justice.

No matter if they had lost many of their fans (who claimed that Natsume's hands were dirty, and supporting a criminal was an act of crime itself), no matter if the press started to dub them "Crimson for Prison", they tried to stay strong and optimistic, especially for Natsume's sake. And there _were _remnants, fans who declared their support for _Crimson Abyss, _even new fans, who expressed their amazement and respect for _Crimson Abyss _for breaking off, even when knowing the consequences that would follow.

Natsume will pay back karma on the 20th of November.

Ruka watched his friend, asleep on the couch, with a very tense expression on his face, and couldn't help wish the days would just roll on faster to a place in the future where Natsume could sleep peacefully, without anything plaguing his mind.

Ruka was the only one awake; he had been watching Tokyo below from a time before dawn, and continued to do so until he heard the doorbell ring at eight o'clock. By eight, the sky still looked rather dark, yet he could see from up above that the city was awake. Ruka's first instinct was to glance at Natsume (when he heard the doorbell), to see if he had woken up by the sound of it, yet was relieved to see that Natsume continued to sleep.

Ruka made his way to the door, already knowing who it would be—"Hey Yuu," he greeted, "come in." Hachi, who had been asleep in his bed, awoke at the sound of the bell, and also had made his way over to greet Tobita Yuu.

"Good morning!" Yuu brightly said, yet when he saw there was nobody behind Ruka, he asked, "Is everyone else asleep?" When Ruka nodded, Yuu continued, his voice considerably lower, "I've got the sample track—it's done, ready for release . . ." he held up a CD case, with a blank CD in it, that read (written, in Sharpie), _Crimson Abyss: Finale_, "but shall I come by later?"

The reason to why _Crimson Abyss _had rented that dingy recording studio in Kichijoji, very discreetly, was because they, after two years, had finally decided to release a song, now that they were no longer under Serio Records. Of course, no recording company in their right mind would take on _Crimson Abyss, _as their name was now seen as a synonym for _scandal_, and that is why they had to rent an unassociated recording studio for the spam of two months.

_Crimson Abyss_, well, Natsume, had decided back when he decided to break from Serio Records that they, together as _Crimson Abyss,_ would release a song after they were free from the clutches of Serio Persona. Of course, now, the mere idea of doing such a thing terrified the boys (because of their poor reputation), yet they didn't back away from the idea, mainly because they knew it was their last shot and go at making music together.

The boys decided that this would be their _last song_, their _finale_, together as _Crimson Abyss_.

And there Yuu was, in front of Ruka, holding up the CD which contained their last song, which they put all their remaining efforts in.

But remembering Natsume's tired face, Ruka was indeed about to ask Yuu to come back an hour or so later, yet before he could voice his request, he heard a voice from behind him, the voice that belonged to Natsume. "No, Yuu, you're here, don't go—I'll go wake the other two up."

Natsume rather sleepily even waved at Yuu, who wholeheartedly returned it, before he mumbled a good morning at his best friend who too returned the sentiments.

Yuu nodded, "Right. I'll go to the living room to set this," he lifted the CD, "up, so you can listen to it." Natsume, after nodded, made his way to wake up Koko and Kitsune-me, much to Yuu's happiness (Natsume Hyuuga was finally acting like the band leader he knew back at the Academy after all!), and which spurred Ruka to announce, "I'll make some coffee."

Just like coffee, it was bittersweet that the band was finally acting like a band on the brink of its end.

**.0.**

All of the members' faces were contorted in concentration as they listened to their final song. Koko and Kitsune-me, for example, initially had very sleepy expressions hanging on their faces, yet once the chords rolled out, that all changed. This song, a song that Natsume had written both the music and lyrics for, was hauntingly addictive and undeniably very, very good. It had taken the boys much longer to record than it usually would have, solely because they had to keep recording instruments on top of each other, without the help of other's.

But it worth it, in the sense, this song was completely _their's. _Not Persona's, just _their's._

Until the music had completely stopped, all of the boys just listened to the instruments and Natsume's passionate yet equally empty voice. And when the music did indeed stop, they all looked up, to meet Tobita Yuu's very proud smile: "Best song yet."

This comment brought a smile to Koko, Kitsune-me and Ruka's face, who then passed it on to Natsume, with a little boyish punch to the shoulders, "Congrats, mate."

Natsume nodded before saying, "It's ours, so congratulations to all of you too—even you, Yuu."

Yuu smiled. "It was done last night, late last night, and I couldn't stop listening to it. Really. It's . . ." the problem was, with such song, it was hard to describe how _good _it was, as the word 'good' seemed to insult such song—any song could be _good_ . . . yet this song, this song was . . . hauntingly exquisite. "I think I'll just end it by saying how much of a privilege it was to work with you all. You're all so talented, and I am certain that I will never have the luck to ever work with anybody in the league of all of you."

This wasn't goodbye—there were still days left until the band really were at its end, but Yuu's very kind words made the boys realise how soon their end was. They all wanted it to end, but Yuu's words definitely evoked melancholic sentiments too. Tobita Yuu had been completely supportive of the boys since their time together in the Academy. Tobita Yuu was the first person to know, outside _Crimson Abyss, _of their wish to break from Serio Records, and he was also the first person (except for Mikan, of course), who Natsume had told the truth about his past (thus the 'blood contract') directly. And again, he was surprised by the understanding response. Natsume couldn't help feel guilty knowing that an end to _Crimson Abyss _meant an end to Tobita Yuu's career with them but these were sacrifices he needed to overcome for the sake of his sanity and well-being.

Despite the fact he had told himself that, Natsume couldn't help such feelings of guilt bubble at Yuu's words. "I'm sorry, Yuu," Natsume lowly apologized, again, "but . . . the old is always replaced with the new. Greater things will come to you."

Koko nodded before he comically prophesied, "You're going to one day be the manager of the next _Rolling Stone._ I mean, with all your guitar skills, how could you not!"

They all smiled and laughed, yet once that stopped, Natsume made his way over to the CD player, and looked back at the boys, asking, "Do you mind?" They all shook their heads, and with their approval and permission, Natsume pressed the play button again, desperate to hear the song again.

It really was their best work, he could admit, yet Natsume couldn't help think that despite that it would probably do embarrassingly badly in the charts and in the music world in general—after all, who would want to listen to a criminal?

Criminals have the right to remain silent. That was because nobody wanted to listen to them in the first place.

"I did manage to sign a contract with iTunes," Yuu also informed them, "and the release date has been set to the 16th of November . . ." from then, all Yuu continued to explain were the legal issues surrounding the song, and how the band will receive less profit for this song than they would have done if they were associated to a recording company . . . but that was all okay. It was never really about the money on _their_ part after all.

**.0.**

**Novemer 2010**

**.0.**

Mikan Sakura put the newspaper she had been reading down on the bed of a hotel she was staying at in Yokohama. Her national tour had begun, and that is the very explanation to why she was in Yokohama at that moment. Her concert in Yokohama was on the night before, and come tomorrow morning, she'd be in Sapporo, as she had a ticket booked with all her tour up to there, where she were to have a concert. Ideally, today was really there for her to rest _and_ to rehearse for her concert tomorrow night, but she had requested to her manager whether it'd be okay if she just rehearsed tomorrow morning and afternoon instead, to which the manager had replied with a warm smile, "You've worked so hard, I don't see why you can't have a day of rest."

And so there she was, in her room, resting supposedly. She was still in her pajamas despite it being past noon, which of course, is normal, yet Mikan had tears in her eyes, after she had put the newspaper done. The newspaper, which coldly sat beside her, in bold titles read: "_The Crimson Days Are Nearly Over!"_

At times like this, Mikan was glad her friends were not with her, as she was sure they had seen enough of her tears being shed in the name of Natsume Hyuuga.

Mikan just couldn't believe what had happened these past few weeks to _Crimson Abyss. _It was completely out the blue, really, and of course it wasn't just her who was so shocked that Natsume had come out with the truth—the whole world was, really. But perhaps the people who were most shocked were the people who knew the truth about the whole scandal—her friends, including Hotaru, were absolute gobsmacked when news of _Crimson Abyss_' past came into light and known to the whole world on the 30th of September.

From that day on, Aoi Hyuuga had gone from being unknown to being the poor sister of the diabolic Natsume Hyuuga, and ill-fated daughter of the conspiring Takeshi Hyuuga in the eyes of the media.

The past few weeks had been crazy, and days after days, more and more dark information of Natsume Hyuuga's past and family relations were revealed. Aoi had found it very difficult for the whole of October to _do _anything at all, and since the beginning of November, she had left Tokyo to be with her brother, who was up in Sapporo with his bandmates.

The girls (and Youichi too, of course) often called Aoi, to check up if she was alright and on many occassions Mikan found herself calling Aoi to not only check that but often with hopes to hear about Natsume's wellbeing. After all, knowing the truth, Mikan knew what all of this must have _meant_ to her ex-boyfriend.

And for some reason, despite that fact she should be _ecstatic _that she was touring and _singing_, Mikan found it very hard to _be _happy—guilty, even—as she knew that somewhere out there Natsume, Ruka, Koko, Kitsune-me and Aoi were, enveloped by their problems.

And Mikan resented herself for that; she really did, as it really made her question what happiness really was, and what it meant to her.

All of her friends had come to her concert in Tokyo (including Kaname, Tsubasa, Misaki and co. and even Mochu) back in October (thus, even Aoi, as she had not left yet), and back in the presence of her friends she was distracted, yet in Yokohoma, she did not have the same thing as none of her friends could follow her to every single venue of her concerts. They had jobs and lives too which definitely did not revolve around Mikan.

So in Yokohama, Mikan read and googled the news alone.

And it was just heartbreaking to her, and she felt so weak, then and there, crying _for _them as she couldn't even begin to fathom how _they _felt. For this show, she was only the spectator.

It wasn't like Mikan was sobbing uncontrollably in her pillow, cursing life of its injustice, no, it was just Mikan couldn't help the odd tear, or two or sometimes three, leak out from the corner of her eyes.

And there she was, due to leave to Sapporo, the centre of the storm, the very next day on the 16th, the place she knew Aoi was, waiting for her. With her manicured nails, Mikan pressed the corner of her eyes lightly for relief, but then, as if on cue, her mobile started to ring—it was Aoi.

"Hello?" It did not sound at all as if she had just been sniveling.

"_Hey you—ready for tomorrow?" _came the happy and excited voice of Aoi.

Mikan laughed, "You bet!"

Aoi then went on to say how she had made a banner for Mikan (she was coming to support her friend after all)—"Just like the good old days in the Academy, huh?" Mikan agreed, and hummed contentedly. The two chattered for the next five minutes, and Mikan told Aoi how the concert went last night, before they then started to make plans for tomorrow. As suggested, Aoi was indeed going to Mikan's concert in Sapporo that was to take place the next day, and two were also making plans to meet _after _the concert (despite the fact that it'd be quite late), as tomorrow morning and afternoon, for Mikan, consisted of rehearsals. They both knew Mikan had planned to stay a few days after her concert in Sapporo before heading back down to Sendai for her next concert, but Mikan wanted to exploit her stay there and see Aoi as much as she possibly could.

"So . . ." Mikan coughed, before she rather subtly asked, "how is everything over there?" She didn't explicitly say it, but Aoi immediately knew what Mikan was instigating.

"_Oh . . . well, you can imagine . . . I'll tell you at dinner tomorrow, okay?"_

"Alright." Mikan agreed, as she bit her lip. And then, before she could help herself, she asked, "Will it just be us for dinner?"

There was a slight pause before Aoi answered, "_Yeah, but I can invite Natsume if you want—"_

"No, no, no!" Mikan quickly reacted, "That's not what I meant—I just . . . I mean . . . sorry, forget it." Her sentence died rather pathetically, mainly because Mikan herself didn't know what her intentions were by asking such questions, nor did she have any idea what she really meant.

"_Okay._" Mikan could hear the smile in Aoi's voice. _"Either way, I'll see you on stage tomorrow!"_

"Definitely!"

**.0.**

The 16th was completely jam-packed for Mikan—she had hardly had anytime to herself (if anything, it was only in the toilet where she felt she had her own space) as the flights to Sapporo were very early, the rest of the day was spent rehearsing and then getting ready for the concert itself.

It was no surprise that her concert was a success and Mikan's adrenaline was still sky-high when she was done, at around ten forty-five p.m. Whilst usually after a concert, her and her tour team would go out all to eat, Mikan excused herself (after getting changed into normal clothes and washing off all her stage make-up), and left her tour team money for dinner, as a thank-you. They all said goodbye to her, and her manager asked of Mikan kindly to let him know of her plans for tomorrow and the day after as Mikan was only scheduled for rehearsals three days from then.

Mikan promised, and told everybody that was involved in her tour to have a good rest before she would see them in three days time.

Even when stepping outside (through the inconspicuous back door, where she had arranged to meet Aoi) Mikan didn't feel the full effects of the cold northern air thanks to her high adrenaline. Sapporo was cold—it was not due to snow until at least mid-December, but one could just _feel _that the frost was to come.

Mikan especially didn't feel cold as she was suddenly encased by the warmly dressed Aoi Hyuuga—"Ooof!"

"You were brilliant, Mikan!"

"You scared me, Aoi!"

The two girls laughed—their laughter took form of white feathery wisps as they breathed out into the cold, cold air. Then, it was Mikan's turn to give a bone-crushing hug to her friend. "I missed you so much, Aoi!"

Before they got into conversation however, the two friends suddenly heard people (who had obviously go to Mikan's concert by their topic of conversation: Mikan's third outfit) walking in their direction and agreed quietly it'd be best to start walking to the ramen restaurant.

"You're going to _love _this ramen place, trust me!"

"I don't doubt you for a minute!"

Not more than fifteen minutes later, the two were sat down in the brightly lit ramen restaurant. There were not many customers, to Mikan's relief, and soon after, they each had a bowl of steaming sho-yu ramen placed in front of them.

They talked, and talked and talked and it was after all that talk, Mikan finally gained the courage to ask what had been plaguing her mind: "So . . . how is it?"

Aoi immediately knew Mikan was not talking about the ramen—which was indeed delicious, but about everything that had been happening in Sapporo.

"Well," Aoi tiredly sigh, her eyes dimming slightly, "it's as hectic as you imagine it to be, really." Her tone was sombre, and she was speaking in a very low voice. Mikan crossed her arms on the table, and leaned in towards her friend. "Especially today, of course, with the release of their new song . . ."

"Wait, _what?_" Mikan demanded, shocked. "They're releasing an _album?"_ Why had she not heard about this? Surely such news would have circulated around the press very quickly, considering the situation.

"Didn't you see the news?" Aoi inquired. Now Mikan thought about it, her whole day had been extremely busy and she really didn't have much time to see or check the news, let alone her phone. "And no, they're not releasing an album—they're just releasing a song . . . their last song, apparently."

Mikan was not only digesting her food, but also all this news. "B-But, why haven't I heard of this?"

"Well, they considering the situation, they just decided to release it out of the blue—not under a record company, of course, just straight to iTunes. They didn't announce they would be doing so, so you could imagine the attention they've been getting today. The song went to sale early this morning."

Mikan blinked, absolutely stupefied. After two years of silence, _Crimson Abyss _were finally making a noise? Why now, why now when their end was so near? Was this their goodbye present?

"Mikan? Are you okay?"

Mikan shook herself out of her reverie—"Yes. Yes. Yes." She thickly swallowed before she continued, look straight at the worried eyes of her friend, "I'm sorry. I'm just surprised."

"I suppose I was too when they told me. The whole of Japan seems surprised, really."

The two stayed silent for a while, and just finished off their ramens. Once done, Aoi asked, "What hotel are you staying at again? I'm sorry, you told me, but I'm having a complete mind-blank."

Mikan giggled and teased Aoi before she answered, "The Price Hotel."

"Ahhh yeah, now I remember!" Aoi paused and thought for a second or two, but then she burst out, "Oh, brilliant! That's actually really close to the hotel we're staying at!"

Mikan cheered before she really processed what Aoi had said. "You're staying at a hotel?" Sapporo was Aoi's hometown after all, she expected Aoi would have stayed back at her family's house, but it was only after Mikan had voiced out her question did she realise how _stupid _the question was and stupid she was for asking such thing.

"Yeah, we're staying at the Okura hotel, which is around 15 minutes away from you. By we I mean Natsume and me—the others," which obviously meant Koko, Kitsune-me and Ruka, "are back at their own homes respectively . . . their families haven't practically disowned them after all . . ."

Mikan guiltily bit her lip. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked such a stupid question . . ."

"Nothing to be sorry about!" Aoi cheerfully reassured Mikan. "Really, I mean, it's understandable. Most families aren't like mine after all, so it's hard to imagine. Besides, Natsume _needs _this. It's all for his own good, so there's really nothing to be sorry about. And everything will be fine in the end," she smiled, "—I saw the others today, and they all seem to have an idea on what to do next!"

"Oh yeah?" Mikan inquired, as she interlocked her fingers so her chin could rest, with a smile upon her face.

Aoi nodded before she explained how Ruka was thinking about becoming a vet; how Koko wanted to volunteer and how Kitsune-me wanted to travel to the south, to the sea, with his new qualifications of scuba-diving and such. Mikan tinkered with laughter—good for them! But she noticed how Aoi didn't mention Natsume. "And Natsume?" she prompted.

She felt her heartbeat quicken, and her heart itself drop when Aoi bit her lip—a habit which told one that Aoi didn't know the answer. ". . . I'm sure he'll be fine too."

Mikan blinked, before that same expression crossed Mikan's face for the second time. However this time, only after a few seconds, Aoi was able to finally recognize _it_. She was shocked (but didn't voice or show it) and primarily unable to believe what she was seeing, but it was written so evidently across Mikan's face. Mikan's eyes were the windows to her soul after all, and Aoi heard that little heartfelt sigh too . . .

There was no mistake about it.

"Our room is 107," Aoi said, pulling Mikan out of her second dazed trance, ". . . Room 107, Hotel Okura. Just in case you want to call or something."

"Oh, okay!" Mikan smiled, before she started to rummage through her bag, "Let me write that down just in case . . ." Yet, as Mikan wrote the number 0, she realized how odd it was Aoi had told her this—after all, surely she could have just called Aoi's mobile if she wanted to contact her? Why _was_ Aoi giving her the hotel room, where her and Natsume were staying?

"I'm also going to a sleepover tonight at an old friend's house." Aoi added, rather pointedly.

It was not strange that Aoi would tell Mikan such thing, as it was the norm, yet it was the inciting tone that Aoi had said this statement that confused Mikan slightly. Nevertheless, Mikan let it pass and answered, "Oh, that's nice! But this late?" It was already past eleven, after all.

"I told her I'd be there by at least midnight!"

"Ooh, look at you, cheeky!" The two giggled, enjoying their moment of acting like silly fools.

The two stayed in each other's company till around twenty to twelve, and parted with a big hug, and a promise that they'd call each other the next day to make more plans. "Have a good night," they bid each other, as they kissed each other's cheek, "text me when you're back safe!"

Mikan took a taxi back to her hotel, and in the taxi, she could think nothing more but of a hot, steaming shower.

**.0.**

The exhaustion was finally creeping up on Mikan, as her high levels of adrenaline were stooping down low. It was past midnight when she got out the shower, and whilst at dinner all kind of thoughts were shooting through her head, right then, she could think of nothing but sleeping. She felt sparkly clean and very snug in her sweat pants and brother's jumper (which she had stolen, mwhaha), and she was in the midst of towel-drying her hair when she rather mechanically turned the radio on with the remote control that sat on her beside table. At first, she did not really register or even hear, for that matter, what they were saying on the radio, yet when she heard "Natsume Hyuuga" been said by the host, immediately, her ears perked up and her sleepiness left her.

Her heart beat increased and her adrenaline seeped back into her system.

Mikan let her towel drop to her bed, as she quite clumsily fumbled for the remote control (of the radio), to put the volume up . . .

"—_they just keep surprising us, don't they?"_

"_Yes, well," _the other voice said, _"I think I much prefer this surprise of theirs."_

"_Yes, that's right folks—this single, which, Tobita Yuu, manager of _Crimson Abyss, _has announced to be their last single was released earlier today and is currently holding the place of number 1 on iTunes, Japan. It's one of the fastest songs to climb the chart! That's right, I'll say it again, _Crimson Abyss' _new and final single is one of the fastest climbing tracks in three decades! Not surprising either as it _is_ a very good song. Haunting, passionate and damn depressing. Quite hypnotic, wouldn't you say, Mr. Souma?"_

"_Most definitely."_

"_But do you think that it is only _because _of these circumstances,_" and by circumstances, the host meant nothing more than the trial of Natsume Hyuuga, "_that the song has done so well?"_

"_Well, I think that did play a part in it. After all, I think we all want to know what _Crimson Abyss, _especially Natsume Hyuuga has to say. He's been silent for two years, and even when his past came out, he still keep his mouth shut, refusing to take part in any interviews. So of course I think these situations did play a huge role to why this song has shot up but you can see from the reviewers of iTunes who have bought this song and by the praises from music critics, such as myself, that the circumstances are not the only reason. This song wasn't branded to be _Crimson Abyss' _best song for nothing, in my opinion. It's honest and heartbreaking and from it, there is no doubt we can assess that Natsume Hyuuga _is _a musical and lyrical genius."_

"_Yes—he wrote the music and the lyrics, I heard? Is that correct?"_

"_That's right."_

"_Well folks, that was Mr. Yuuta Souma, famous music critic of _Classical Life_, and here is _Crimson Abyss_' new and last single, their finale_, Karma Police. _You're listening to Radio 1, enjoy."_

By then, Mikan was kneeled on the floor, looking at the radio box with wide eyes, as the music started.

(Karma Police—Radiohead)

_Karma police, arrest this man  
He talks in maths  
He buzzes like a fridge  
He's like a detuned radio_

_Karma police, arrest this girl  
Her Hitler hairdo is  
Making me feel ill  
And we have crashed her party_

_This is what you get  
This is what you get  
This is what you get when you mess with us_

_Karma Police  
I've given all I can  
It's not enough  
I've given all I can  
But we're still on the payroll_

_This is what you get  
This is what you get  
This is what you get when you mess with us_

_And for a minute there, I lost myself, I lost myself  
And for a minute there, I lost myself, I lost myself_

_For for a minute there, I lost myself, I lost myself  
For for a minute there, I lost myself, I lost myself  
For a minute there, I lost myself, I lost myself._

Mikan admitted after hearing the first few words, she _missed_ Natsume's voice so much, and hearing his voice alone already was too much for her, but when she listened to the lyrics, especially when he sang, 'I lost myself', she couldn't help tear up _again. _The Karma Police finally caught up with Natsume Hyuuga, he was trying to say, and Natsume's declaration of that, and even acceptance of that tore Mikan's heart apart. He had given all he could, but it was still not enough, it was still not enough.

By the end of the song, however, Mikan could finally see the truth. The truth to why she had been acting they way she had been since she saw him back in the Summer. The reason to why she always feel somewhat incomplete and the reason to why she regretted what she did in the Summer too. She _missed _Natsume—not only his voice, no, but Natsume himself, _all of him. _

She missed him.

And she needed to see him.

(play A Thousand Years by Christina Perri)

_Heart beats fast  
Colors and promises  
How to be brave  
How can I love when I'm afraid to fall  
But watching you stand alone  
All of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow_

Hearing Aoi's voice ringing in her head ("we're staying at the Okura hotel, which is around 15 minutes away from you…room 107…"), Mikan stood up and rather maladroitly and dashed to the door, and slipped on the nearest shoes in sight (which were heels). There was no time to think rationally, and Mikan flew out the door with her coat, and bag (which thankfully for her contained her phone, purse and door keys).

On the elevator down to the lobby however, Mikan calmed down a bit, and remembered to wipe the tears on her face. That was when she realised she had no idea _where _the Okura Hotel was, even if it were only fifteen minutes away, so when the elevator dinged, she went straight to the concierge, and asked for directions. After getting all she needed, (but deciding getting a taxi would be faster and better, mentally) she bid the man at the desk a goodnight, before she ran out into the streets of Sapporo, wearing heels, sweat pants, and a trench coat. There was no doubt she looked foolish (the concierge didn't seem to recognize her) especially as her hair was still damp. There weren't many in the street (it was past midnight after all) but the odd locals did look at her strangely, but Mikan didn't care. Remembering to head south, she did, before she look a left.

_One step closer . . ._

There was no taxi in sight, so Mikan kept on running in her heels, to the place where she knew Natsume Hyuuga would be.

Mikan had to see him.

His voice, his haunting voice was ringing and echoing in her ears.

She had to tell him.

Perhaps Mikan really did need Natsume as much as he needed her.

_I have died everyday waiting for you  
Darling don't be afraid I have loved you  
For a thousand years  
I'll love you for a thousand more_

**.0.**

**End of Chapter Forty Two**

**.0.**

**A/N: **If you don't like or (worse) don't know Radiohead then … I have nothing to say to you. I'm just kidding, but if you didn't know of them, then I suggest you check them out. You have seen a wide range of music in this story, but Karma Police is my favourite by far.

Thank you to **Devilish Dream **for suggesting the song, '**The Reason**' by **Hoobastank**. I always wanted to use it, but I had completely forgotten about its existence before you reminded me of it—so thank you!

Oh and despite the title for this chapter, it is NOT the Finale...it's just Crimson Abyss' finale, geddit?


	47. Only the Beginning

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Gakuen Alice.

**.0.**

**My Happy Ending**  
_**by Little Miss Giggle**_

**.0.**

**Chapter Forty-Three: Only The Beginning**

**.0.**

_When you try your best, but you don't succeed  
When you get what you want, but not what you need  
When you feel so tired, but you can't sleep  
Stuck in reverse_

_And the tears come streaming down your face  
When you lose something you can't replace  
When you love someone, but it goes to waste  
Could it be worse?_

_Lights will guide you home  
And ignite your bones  
And I will try to fix you_

— Fix You, Coldplay

_**.**_**0.**

It was way past midnight when Natsume heard a knock on the door. Thankfully for him, he was awake—he was so tired, yet he could not sleep. For once, however, he knew it was a good thing he wasn't asleep, as he knew how irked he would have been if somebody had woken him up from his much needed rest.

He had been lounging on one of the double beds in this room, at Hotel Okura. Room 107—it was a spacious room, with two double beds: one for him and one for Aoi, yet Aoi was not there, regretfully for him. Natsume greatly enjoyed the presence of his sister, especially after not speaking to her for more than two years meant they had a lot to catch up on. He loved speaking to her because of the ease he felt when he did so. The only time he didn't really like to hear was about her boyfriend, Youichi . . . a very brotherly protectiveness kicked in immediately when she mentioned for the first time a few weeks ago that she had a boyfriend, and that feeling quadrupled when she also announced she also _lived _with him.

That had not sat well with Natsume, and it still didn't sit well with him. He didn't care how much Aoi had remarked Youichi was _lovely _and a _sweetheart_—comments like that just bounced off Natsume. Aoi had however made him promise that he'd have dinner with her and this Youichi when he returned to Tokyo.

Natsume had really just been languidly watching movies for the past six hours or so, and nothing really had gone in. As the days got closer and closer to his trial he found himself getting more and more nauseous. Not to mention today was the day their last song was released.

Yuu, and all of his band mates had called him that day at different times, to announce, to his great surprise, that _Karma Police_ was doing excellently on the charts (it was apparently one of the fastest selling songs!). Despite hearing this, however, Natsume dared not go on the Internet or the news channel, just in case they were talking about him or about the Karma Police. In fact, for the whole day, he had cooped himself up in the room. The boys had come to visit him in the hotel at around noon, but since then and since Aoi had left, he had been alone with his nerves.

Another reason why he felt he needed Aoi's company was because she was really good at making him feel calmer about everything with her words which were always full of promise.

That was why when he heard the knock on his door, he was incredibly _glad_, as he assumed it was Aoi on the other side. Perhaps he'd be able to sleep after having a chat with her. Yet, as he made his way to the door he suddenly became a bit confused . . . after all she had told him earlier that day that she was to have a sleepover tonight with an old friend, after . . . going to Mikan's concert and having dinner with Mikan . . .

_Mikan._

He focused back on Aoi, quickly. _That _was over, after all.

What was Aoi doing back? Wasn't she at a sleepover? And at this time?

Natsume opened the door.

Natsume, then, finally understood the gravity of shock Mikan must have felt when she had opened the door to him, back in the summer, in Nagoya. As there, standing there was not Aoi but Mikan Sakura. His mind did process for a fraction of a second her strange attire, and her very deep, dry breaths, which indicated to him she had been running but remarks like these were dominated by other thoughts—questions—was he dreaming? Had he in fact been asleep all this time?

What was she doing _here? _In front of him, so late into the night?

She continued to heavily breath, and he continued to look at her with wide-eyes.

Finally, he managed to croak out a, "Wha—" but he was cut short as at that moment to his great surprise, Mikan threw her arms around him.

As for Mikan, when he had opened the door, and when she saw his face, she very nearly did start to cry all over again. She was being so pathetic, she knew that, but she _missed him so much, _so when she heard him utter a syllable (that voice—she had missed it so much) she couldn't help lunge at him, to give him a hug.

It was albeit it quite an awkward hug; Natsume was at least two heads taller than her (even with heels), making Mikan strain to just even loop her arms around his neck and by the fact that Natsume's own hands were just limply at his sides. Natsume was completely frozen; he was too shocked to even blink as his mind try to process Mikan was hugging her. All of his senses seemed to be numb except for his hearing—Natsume could just about hear her ragged breaths.

Then, the sound of expensive shoes on the corridor made its way to Natsume's ears, and it was also the sudden chatter that came with it down the corridor that finally brought Natsume out of his shock. Natsume still had enough sense to think and pull himself and Mikan in the room, and close the door behind them, away from the eyes of the cruel world outside.

That was when his other senses kicked in—he could suddenly smell the sweet scent of her shampoo, he could feel that his teeshirt was now damp from her hug (her hair was wet). Natsume could see her clearly now, in the light of his room: her hair looked darker than usual because it was wet (as established); her cheeks were flushed, and there was not a trace of makeup on her face. Without any, Mikan looked just like she did back in the Academy, when she was still his.

So many questions were running in Natsume's head, but the only one he could utter was, "What are you doing here?"

Mikan didn't answer immediately. She took her time to reply, "I was in Sapporo. I was in Sapporo for my concert." Her voice was a little raspy, but it was still _her _voice. The same voice that had told him she didn't love him anymore in the summer.

"I know that." Natsume said, not realising that it was somewhat a confession, before he corrected himself: "I mean, Aoi mentioned she was going . . ." Aoi had also mentioned she was also going to a sleepover. What was Mikan doing here without Aoi? Then, a thought hit him—perhaps she had come to see Aoi? Perhaps Aoi had not told Mikan she was going for a sleepover? ". . . and I don't know if you know, but Aoi's gone for a sleepover. She's not here—"

Mikan looked momentarily hurt at what Natsume was insinuating—after all, it sounded to her that he was trying to get rid of her, so she interrupted: "I know that! I'm not here for Aoi!"

Natsume blinked, surprised. "Oh." _So that means she's here for me? _There was a pregnant pause before he softly asked, "So why are you here? . . . Are you here to see me?" _This late at night?_

Natsume's words had an immediate effect on her, as after he asked his two questions, he saw how tears started to gather in her eyes—_Shit! You've made her cry again! _Worriedly, he called, "Mikan—"

"Aoi told me the room number and Hotel at dinner, and, and," Mikan couldn't help the tears as she tried to explain herself to Natsume, looking straight into his eyes. There she was, crying like a stupid girl, and there he was, with a worried, confused and surprised expression. There she was, losing her cool and swallowing her pride, while he just watched. It was as if the roles had reversed since summer, as this time, it was her opening her heart to him. "and, and . . . and I heard your song, your new song on the radio and I just _had_ to see you."

Natsume's eyes were firmly on her. All he wanted to do at this point was hug her and ask her to stop crying for his sake, but he was letting Mikan finish what she was trying to get across.

". . . What you're doing is _so _brave. I'm sorry for not calling you to say that before, ever since it all happened, but I was just so scared. I know, it's such a stupid reason—I should have know what this all," obviously meaning Natsume coming clean with the truth, "_means _to _you. _You didn't tell me for nothing; I'm such a bad friend," Natsume couldn't help that tinge of disappointment gnaw at his heart when she called herself his _friend_ and not anything more intimate, "_such _a bad friend. I'm so sorry," at this point, Natsume had let his prior thoughts of letting her finish what she saying out of the window, and stepped forward to encase her in his arms. She was crying too much; he could feel her shake in his arms, and could also feel watery, syncopated breaths on his teeshirt.

Natsume couldn't believe she was _here _for him, and that she was _crying _so much for him.

Mikan, on the other hand, couldn't believe she was being so weak and how she could possibly cry when everything was happening to Natsume, not her. Yet she couldn't help but feel so warm, and so safe in his arms, and she couldn't help bring her arms up to clutch his teeshirt.

Natsume kept his arms around her, even when her crying slowly but surely subsided. So, they were now silent, but Natsume just continued to hear her breathe, and comfortingly stroked her back whilst Mikan felt herself calm down when her heart started to follow and imitate Natsume's very own steady heartbeat.

When her, hysteria, she could call it was completely dead, Mikan suddenly felt her cheeks flush in embarrassment. Her actions finally caught up with her. She couldn't believe all of a sudden that she was there, in Natsume's arms, in his room so late at night. Nor could she believe she had acted so impulsively and even rudely at such time. She was glad, however, that she did not spill out her feelings for him during when she was hysterical—that would have been completely out of place and stupid, after all.

"I'm sorry," she said, she pushed herself slightly away from Natsume's torso, so she could look up at him, "Were you asleep? I should have just waited till the morning."

Yes, perhaps she should have done so, but she knew very well that that option had always been an impossible one ever since she heard _Karma Police_.

Natsume, however, responded by just pulling her back closer to his chest. Mikan just let him do so, and inhaled his scent. Little did she know, he had buried his face into her hair to do the very same—to smell her sweet scent; he didn't care that it was wet.

"You have nothing to apologise for. I'm just so glad that you're here right now." At this point, Mikan tenderly smiled, her lips gently pressed against his teeshirt. "I'm not brave at all." Natsume replied to her statement, which in return dissolved Mikan's smile, as she intently listened to his words: "I'm terrified about everything. I'm scared for tomorrow, and the day after, and _especially _for the day after that day and so forth. I'm terrified for my future."

Mikan clutched his teeshirt in her hands tighter.

The recent photos of _Crimson Abyss _in newspaper and magazines alike always captured Natsume to have a very forlorn look on his face. The public would never know of this; never know that Natsume was scared, and nor would they probably ever guess so correctly because of his expressions in photos and Mikan couldn't help feel somewhat honoured to know Natsume's true feelings.

They were opening up to each other.

"Mikan," Natsume then very tentatively and softly said after another string of pause, "by any chance . . . have your—"

Mikan suddenly, quite roughly, pushed herself away from Natsume (to his horror), and turned her back to him—"Achoo!" she sneezed three times in a row, and Natsume couldn't help but slightly smile at the cute 'choo!'s, and couldn't help feel so relieved that she had pushed herself away from him just for sneezing, and not for any other reasons he didn't want to particularly think about.

He was just about to ask her a very personal question about her feelings.

"Bless you."

"Thank you." Mikan instinctively answered, before she felt a shudder climb up her spine.

It was as if her sneezes had reminded her how cold and wet she was. Even if she had been running, she still had definitely not worn enough for the cold weather of Sapporo. From her head, her wet hair, to her toes, her heels left her feet naked, she was cold. "And I'm sorry for getting you damp," she indicated at his teeshirt, and even his chin before she explained, "I just got out the shower."

"Yeah, I figured." Natsume nodded. He then thought to himself that despite the time, it was completely and utterly unlikely that she were to stay the night (even if she slept on Aoi's bed) due to their past and history with hotel rooms so, sooner of later (no matter how much he didn't want it to happen) she was to go back outside, in the freezing streets of Sapporo. "Aoi's suitcase is here. I think you should borrow some of her clothes whilst we dry yours and your hair. You don't want to get ill."

Mikan was quick to agree—after all, being a singer on tour meant she could not get ill and damage her throat. She couldn't possibly do that to her fans. Not to mention, Mikan wanted a reason to stay there, with Natsume for as long as she could.

**.0.**

As Natsume had suggested, Mikan took a pair of sweatpants, a thick woollen jumper and some fat socks with her to the bathroom, in order to get changed. She also brought her own clothes, which wear cold to touch, and let them rest on the radiator in the bathroom as she got changed. Mikan couldn't help smile as she pulled Aoi's jumper over her head—it smelt of Aoi! Nor could she help but sigh when she put her cold feet to the radiator, to warm them up, before she put Aoi's socks on.

Now that she was thinking of Aoi, she couldn't help but thank her (in her head) for telling her the Hotel and the room number in the first place . . . perhaps Aoi always knew this was going to happen? . . .

When she was done, Mikan looked at her own reflection carefully in the mirror and couldn't help but groan in disgust. She looked horrible—her eyes were slightly swollen, her skin looked uneven and red, and her hair was drying very badly. Mikan wished, as she suddenly picked up Aoi's hairbrush that she recognised, that she at least looked _decent _right now as she _was _in Natsume's presence.

She commenced to brush her rather tangled hair, wincing slightly now and again. Once done, Mikan put the brush down where it had been, and looked back at her reflection.

It didn't do much—she still looked awful. She then wished she had some mascara or something; she felt so bare.

Then, Mikan's eyes came in contact with a cologne bottle that stood beside Aoi's brush. Mikan immediately recognised this to be Natsume's—it was the same brand of cologne he had used back in the days, and Mikan couldn't help her hands stretch to pick up the bottle. Uncapping it, Mikan took a little sniff; only to smile at the scent . . . it was _his _scent.

Suddenly, there was a soft knock on the door, and Mikan hastily capped the cologne and put it back where it belonged. Only then, did she realise how _strange _she really was acting. "Are you done?" came Natsume's voice from the other side of the door."

"Y-Yes." Mikan unlocked the bathroom door, "Come in."

**.0.**

When Mikan had closed the bathroom door behind her, with her and Aoi's clothes, it was Natsume's cue to have a very silent freak out. He couldn't _believe _Mikan was here, with him in his room! If anybody had prophesied this event yesterday, he would have told the silly seer to shut up and stop getting him excited for nothing.

Yet here Mikan was. Here she really was!

He paced backwards and forwards, but then, getting a panicked feeling that he had just hallucinated this whole thing, Natsume couldn't help but silently walk the door of the bathroom, and very cautiously near his face to the door. And indeed, his ears picked up the sounds of rustling clothes, confirming she _really _was there.

Natsume couldn't help his cheeks tense as he smiled. Of course he was incredibly surprised by her sudden visit, but Natsume was also incredibly happy that she had come here on her own accord. (Thank you, Aoi!) There were also niggling siren alarms wailing in his head however, which warned him not to get his hopes up, and which also reminded him that she _had _said she didn't love him anymore. What could have possibly changed since the summer? It wasn't as if he sent her chocolates and love letters everyday, no, in fact he had somewhat (with great reluctance) given up on the idea of getting back together with her.

All these ambivalent sentiments were going to do him in, he was sure of it.

He had to ask her.

Natsume felt his heartbeat quicken at that thought, but he reminded himself that he had already been rejected once by her, and nothing could be ever possibly be worse than _that _rejection.

He had to ask her.

On his mind, there was nothing more than that. Right then and there, he did not care about his trial, or think about his father or Persona.

All he could think about was Mikan.

Trying his best to be fearless, Natsume knocked on the bathroom door. "Are you done?"

"Y-Yes." came Mikan's somewhat flustered reply. He then heard the lock unlatch. "Come in."

Turning the doorknob, Natsume took up her offer and let himself in the bathroom. Characteristically, the bathroom was warm. Even the lights in the bathroom seemed much warmer, mainly because it bounced off the orange-hued marble walls and floor.

Instead of looking directly at her, Natsume chose to look at her through the mirror. He watched her reflection smile at him through the mirror too, so he smiled back. They were looking at each other's reflection, taking more in, in this warm light.

Mikan noted, although he did look tired, it was nothing compared to his appearance in the summer, which also made her realise she did not smell any cigarettes.

Had he quit?

Natsume could only think how beautiful Mikan was, but noted too that her hair was still a bit damp.

"I'm sorry for surprising you," Mikan then apologised again, "I should have acted more rationally. Especially when it's this late . . ." her sentence trailed off as she watched his reflection reach for the hairdryer, and pick it up.

"Seriously, it's fine." His eyes met her's, by the reflection on the mirror. "I'm glad. Really." Natsume confessed.

Mikan could only smile at that. But then, she couldn't help a puzzled look cross her face, when Natsume pointedly looked at her, holding the hairdryer up. When she finally understood his meaningful look, she couldn't help her surprise, and the bubbly feeling she felt inside—his look was a question itself, a question asking whether he could dry her hair for her.

Mikan answered him by pulling a little stool that was in the bathroom (quite elaborate, eh?) that would have probably been used by a lady to do her makeup towards her. With no makeup on, and with no intention to put any on, Mikan sat down on the white stool, and faced herself to the mirror, where she could watch Natsume's reflection.

The humming buzz of the hairdryer came, and Mikan slowly closed her eyes when she felt Natsume's fingers in her hair. Oh, how she missed that.

When they were together, it was an unsaid routine that Natsume would fiddle with Mikan's hair, whether they were eating, talking, reading something together or kissing.

Mikan could feel the pads of his fingers gently move from side to side on her head as he dried her hair. She could only live the moment by closing her eyes, and wishing _this_, which was giving her so many goosebumps, would never ever stop.

They didn't exchange one word whilst Natsume dried her hair, yet it was not uncomfortable.

But an end had to come, to Mikan's disappointment—her hair wasn't going to stay damp forever, no matter how much she hoped. From the roots to the ends, her hair was dry.

But Natsume didn't stop there. He continued by taking the brush, and combing through Mikan's now dry hair. Of course, the teeth of the hairbrush was nothing compared to Natsume's fingers, but just watching him brush her hair was enough for Mikan.

"How was the concert?"

Mikan blinked, and for a moment she truly was going to question 'what concert' before she realised he had meant _her's. _Mikan had completely forgotten about her concert, earlier that night and that to her really made her question what happiness really was to her, as if anything, she felt much more happy here than she did on stage, in front of all her fans who 'loved' her. "It was good. A bit tiring, but the ramen afterwards made up for that."

Natsume smiled, as he vaguely remembered Mikan promising back in the Academy that if she were ever to go to Sapporo she'd go eat ramen. And she had done exactly that, thus had fulfilled her promise. Natsume then replied, truthfully admitting, "I actually wanted to go. To your concert."

Mikan was surprised to hear this. "You did?" She saw his reflection, as he continued to gently brush her thick hair. "Really? Well, you should have come with Aoi!"

"Didn't think it was the best idea." was Natsume's excuse why he didn't do what he wanted. "Considering everything that's happened between us and everything that's happening right now with me."

At this point, Mikan turned around in her stool to face him, and looked up at him straight in the face. Natsume in return looked down at her. Both their expressions were somewhat unreadable, but then Mikan slowly took hold of the hairbrush from his hand, only to put it down beside the sink. After that, she stood up on her feet, never letting her eyes stray away from Natsume.

"Don't worry." Mikan gently said, "You're going to be fine." She promised.

She really did look like she did when she was back at the Academy tonight. Mikan did not look like she did on magazine covers at that point—she looked as if she had just stepped out from one of his flashbacks of their time together.

She was beautiful either way. But tonight, she was perfect in Natsume's eyes.

"Mikan," he softly said, "why are you here?" He asked her the same question, but he was hoping for a different response. When she didn't answer, and just continued to look at him, Natsume urged her on by asking that question he had tried to ask before she sneezed: "By any chance, have . . . have your feelings changed?" His tone was very tentative, and his eyes were filled with hope and even with fear.

It took a lot for Natsume to ask such a question to Mikan.

(play I Won't Give Up – Jason Mraz – on repeat might be a good idea, hehe)

_When I look into your eyes  
It's like watching the night sky  
Or a beautiful sunrise  
There's so much they hold_

And it took a lot for Mikan to answer truthfully.

"Since the summer . . . all I wanted was to see you again. That day, in Nagoya . . . when I left the room, even though I didn't dare to admit it then to myself I knew deep down all I wanted to see was you to chase after me. But just know, Natsume, I meant what I said then." The hope in Natsume was burst by Mikan's words like a balloon with a needle. After all, what she had said then was that she didn't love him anymore. Maybe she really did just see him as a friend now.

A friend was better than no-friend, though. He should be happy she was even letting him in that list after everything he had done to her.

"I don't want you to think I was lying to you back then, Natsume. I really did mean what I said . . . but now . . ."

_And just like them old stars  
I see that you've come so far  
To be right where you are  
How old is your soul?_

". . . but now my feelings have completely changed. Changed _back_ to what they were two years ago before that day." Mikan saw how Natsume's expression changed. Natsume was overwhelmed when he heard her words, after all that meant . . . "I don't know since when they reverted back," Mikan continued and she couldn't help the fact that she was choking up all over again. Opening up had never been so hard for her. "I really don't. But I do know before I knew I wanted to see you again and started to wish I did more than just forgiving you. And it's not like you've _done _anything directly to me, despite the fact that I _wish _you did," Natsume could only watch Mikan cry now—he was so surprised he felt rooted to his spot, desperate to know what Mikan was trying to ultimately say, "but either way, I realised tonight, a hundred percent, that I want to be with you again."

_I won't give up on us  
Even if the skies get rough  
I'm giving you all my love  
I'm still looking up_

Mikan looked at Natsume, with a vulnerably hopeful gaze. "Here I am, hoping _your _feelings haven't changed." Her voice had become higher due to the fact she was crying so much by then, "Here I am, wishing that you'll say those words you said to me this summer to me again. Here I am, hoping and wishing you'll ask me that question again, to which I'll reply 'yes' this time. Here I am in front of you."

_And when you're needing your space  
To do some navigating  
I'll be here patiently waiting  
To see what you find_

That was it for Natsume. Mikan had cried enough tears for him—enough was enough. With nothing but pure happiness, and, as corny as it sounds, love, Natsume finally made a move and unglued himself by firmly pulling her elbow towards him, before he caught her tightly in his arms.

"My feelings haven't changed for two years." Natsume fervently answered, as if the mere idea of his feelings changing in the first place was absurd. "I love you." Mikan cried harder at those three words, and snaked her arms around his chest.

_'Cause even the stars they burn  
Some even fall to the earth  
We've got a lot to learn  
God knows we're worth it  
No, I won't give up_

When he had said it back in the summer, it _was _a shock to her—it was completely out of the blue for her. And now, it was just a confirmation and something that she had wanted to hear for a very long time. He never did say it back when they were in the Academy, and yes, he did say it in the summer, but to Mikan, it felt as if that was the first time he had ever said those three little precious words to her.

_I don't wanna be someone who walks away so easily  
I'm here to stay and make the difference that I can make_

Natsume did the last thing Mikan wanted him to do: "And Mikan, will you get back with me please?"

_Our differences they do a lot to teach us how to use  
The tools and gifts we got yeah, we got a lot at stake_

At this point, Natsume curled his back, so his face could be closer to Mikan's. Mikan too looked up at him, she had to crane her neck, and even tiptoe, just so their foreheads could touch against each other's. Their gazes swept each other's face now that they were so close, and Mikan saw how a bit of stubble peppered his jaw, and even how his eyes flitted before they momentarily rested on her lips. Little did she know, he was looking at that beauty spot on her cupid's bow he loved so much. But soon, their eyes were back on each other's eyes, and when they were, Mikan answered his proposal, "Yes, Natsume, I will."

Mikan sealed that promise with a soft kiss on the right side of his jaw. "And," she added, her lips moving against his jaw, "I love you too."

_And in the end, you're still my friend at least we did intend  
For us to work we didn't break, we didn't burn  
We had to learn how to bend without the world caving in  
I had to learn what I've got, and what I'm not  
And who I am_

Natsume didn't know he could ever feel so happy, and gathered that most people in the planet never _had _felt and never will feel as he did just then and there, which made him realise how lucky he was, despite having a horrible father and a dying reputation, to have Mikan. "I love you." He repeated, "I love you so much."

Mikan was still crying, but now in happiness. Why she kept herself from being this happy for so long . . . Their road had been treacherous, but here they were finally together (in a bathroom—who would have guessed!). But in no way did it mean their road was close to an end.

It was only the beginning.

_I won't give up on us  
God knows I'm tough enough  
We've got a lot to learn  
God knows we're worth it_

"I'm sorry I gave up on you back then. I'm sorry I gave up on _us_." Natsume couldn't help apologise to Mikan all over again for his actions. He hugged her even more tightly, if that were even possible. "I promise I'll never do what I did to you again." Now, it was Natsume's turn to seal his promise with a kiss, and he did so by kissing her forehead. "I promise."

"I'm sorry I let you give up on us. I should have fought harder for us." Mikan softly answered, "And I'm sorry I let you give up on _yourself._"

Touched by what she said, Natsume kissed the tip of her nose—something she had loved back then.

_I won't give up on us  
Even if the skies get rough  
I'm giving you all my love  
I'm still looking up_

The apologies were said and done between them, and Natsume then, to Mikan's surprise, picked her and threw her upper body behind his back and held her legs. Mikan could do nothing but protest in fits of watery laughter and giggles and hearing such sounds filled Natsume's heart with joy.

He couldn't believe this was all happening.

Natsume dropped Mikan on his bed, gently, of course before he climbed on the bed, to sit himself next to her. He was however only really comfortable, when Mikan had edged closer to him on the bed to which he responded by circling his legs around little her body, to ultimately cradle her—her, his _girlfriend_. At this point, Mikan had stopped crying (finally), and Natsume took this as a chance to wipe the tear stains away with his thumbs. Mikan then took advantage of their proximity by reaching her hand out to fiddle with his hair as his thumbs continued to stroke her cheeks. His black hair was just as messy but soft as Mikan remembered it to be.

The two were encased in a peaceful silent, as they took the next few seconds just to gaze at each other's faces, in order for them to note any differences since two years ago.

"There'll be talk." Natsume suddenly blurted out, catching Mikan, who had been stroking his neck, by surprise. She was albeit confused by what he meant, but he didn't give her a chance to voice out her bewilderment, as he quickly continued, "There'll be talk about my family, my past, _me_ . . . they'll be incessant talk about _us _if you do this. You'll be caught in the midst of it all."

Mikan understood what Natsume was doing—he was warning her, making sure she knew what she was getting herself in to. "There's always talk, Natsume. Let them talk—that's all they're good for. Don't worry about that, please . . . besides, I've _already _done it. Since the past three minutes, or so, you're my boyfriend and I'm your wonderfully amazing, splendid girlfriend."

Natsume smiled at that, like a little boy. Yes, that's right, Mikan Sakura was _his _girlfriend. Not that Kaname-what's-his-name's but _his. _

"But that's another thing," Mikan continued, "make another promise to me." Natsume looked at with questioning eyes, urging her to state what she wanted, "Promise me you'll _never _think again that I'm too good for you. Or that you're not good enough for me. Promise me now."

Natsume knew that Mikan _was _too good for him. He also knew very well he was not good enough for Mikan, so he truthfully answered, "I can't promise that." Mikan's pressed her lips together nervously—those beliefs of Natsume were so destructive; couldn't he see that? She was about to retaliate, but then he continued, "But I _will _promise I'll never act upon those facts in such a stupid way. I won't let that come between us, I swear." Natsume vowed that instead of letting those facts destroy his relationship with her again, he'd let them be a reminder of how _lucky _he really was to have her. "I swear."

"They're not facts. They're just your beliefs."

"They're the truth to me."

Mikan rolled her eyes somewhat playfully at her boyfriend's (!) stubbornness.

Natsume continued to cradle her, before she shifted—she turned around so her back was now touching his chest, so he could wound his arm around her waist more comfortably. Mikan put her own hands on top of his, and then felt herself being peppered with kisses on her neck. It was strange to both of them, being so close and touchy-touchy with somebody after two years of nothing intimate. It was a good strange though, as hugging each other felt like saying hello to an old friend.

"Natsume?"

"Mmm?"

"Your hearing is on the 20th, right?"

Natsume momentarily stopped kissing her. Mikan responded by holding onto his hands tightly, knowing her question was out of the blue and most likely unwelcome.

"Yes," came his answer after a pause, "it is."

"I'm coming with you."

Natsume's eyes widened. "No, Mikan—"

Mikan turned to look at him, which as a result pushed his arms away from her. "Natsume, let me be there for you this time." Natsume knew what she hinting at. He knew very well that she hinting to the fact that he had shut her out before, not giving her even a chance to let her be there for him when he needed her the most. "Please."

"You don't have to do this, Mikan."

"_Please."_

"Alright." He said, and smiled back at her when she smiled at his reply. Natsume then held onto her waist again, and pulled her down with him, so that they were lying down; Natsume's back on the bed, and Mikan on his chest.

"I'll do it right this time." Natsume softly murmured, as he slightly reached out to play with her fringe.

Mikan answered in an equally soft voice, "Me too." The night was saturated with promises, all as important as the next, but all as genuine and sincere as the next too. "Which starts by calling my friends and telling them about us . . ." (something she did not do back in 2008, as we all know) but when her eyes flitted to the digital clock on the bedside table that separated the two double beds, she saw it was nearly two o'clock in the morning, ". . . tomorrow morning."

Natsume chuckled at Mikan's addition, after noticing the time. Yes, it was very late. "I gather you'll be spending the night here?"

Mikan indirectly said yes by asking, "Can I borrow one of your teeshirts for sleep?"

Natsume quickly replied with a yes, and pushed himself off the bed (letting Mikan roll to the left side of the bed) to go get her one. He had _loved _it back then whenever Mikan borrowed his clothes. She looked so _cute _in them. He opened his suitcase, and pulled out a teeshirt (that was even a bit big for him) that Ruka had gotten him from Uniqlo last year. It was albeit a rather simple teeshirt, but he was certain it'd look good on Mikan.

"Here," he tossed her the teeshirt, which, to his amusement, she failed to catch.

"Oh, shut your face . . . and thank you." She giggled along with him, who by then was back next to her on the bed. He was hugging her all over again; he couldn't keep his hands off her, now that she was his again.

He loved her so much.

"Come on, Natsume!" Mikan giggled, as he kissed her close to her right ear. "Stop it—that tickles! Come on—I have to get changed!"

He stopped, only to look at her with a very familiar look. His eyebrow was cocked and on his face, a devilish smirk. "Then get changed." His crimson eyes latched onto her suggestively.

"Then let me _go._"

"Never." He meant that metaphorically, of course, but also literally in their current circumstance. "Get changed _here._"

Mikan blinked, before she groaned, knowing exactly what Natsume was insinuating. "Oh God, make way—here comes Natsume the Pervert."

"Only for you, darlin'." He boyishly grinned, before he started to laugh at the expression on her face. "You can't blame me!" He tried to defend himself, that cheeky smile still on his face. "I'm twenty and I haven't been with a girl since _you._"

Mikan was surprised to hear that, of course, but was also greatly relieved. She never expected that of him though, really. Nevertheless, she concealed her surprise as she remarked, "Two years, huh?" she whistled, trying to get across to him that she was really impressed by his abstinence. "How on earth did you manage to do that? I know I couldn't . . ."

"Well—hey!" Natsume frowned as he replayed what she had just said. Mikan could only attempt to suppress a smile, knowing that her words had exactly hit the nerve she wanted them to, "What's that supposed to mean?" His crimson eyes burned with jealousy, "You've been with other guys? Who?"

Truth was (of course), she hadn't been with anybody since Natsume either, but one thing Mikan greatly enjoyed was teasing people playfully—especially if it had anything to do with Natsume and jealousy. "Well, there was Yuuya, Tatsuki, Satoshi—oh, and Barnaby from England, Pierre from France, Jake from the US, Don Juan from Spain—" Natsume at first looked mortified as she threw all these names at him, but when Mikan had said the name _Don Juan _(the fictional Spanish womanizer)_, _he knew then and there she was just messing with. He could salute her—she did very well at riling him up, but instead, he stopped her talking by kissing her on the lips.

He hadn't kissed Mikan, or any girl, for two years now, but as he was kissing her, he knew he'd have to make up for absence of them for the past two years by kissing her as much as he could. Natsume missed her kisses so much, and together, they slowly but surely fell against the mattress, in the midst of it all.

"You feline girl, you." Natsume commented, as he stopped kissing her in order to breathe. Natsume however continued to let his hands caress her little face.

Mikan could only breathlessly giggle at his statement. "You're silly."

"You're crazy."

"Only when you're around." And with that, she leaned towards him to kiss him all over again.

This was only the beginning.

_'Cause even the stars they burn  
Some even fall to the earth  
We've got a lot to learn  
God knows we're worth it  
_

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**End of Chapter Forty-Three**

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**A/N: **I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm _really _not a review-whore. I have never once said during this story, "Review please!" in my author's note, but you've probably also noticed my review numbers are getting close to 2000. This is my last story ever on FFn, and I really want to reach that number before I say goodbye to you all. So…I'll say for the first time: review please? :D

And as an attempt to feel younger again, I watched **Anastasia **and I advise you to listen to the song **At the Beginning **(just type into YT: At the beginning Anastasia) as I think it's applicable to this chapter.


	48. Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Gakuen Alice!

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**My Happy Ending**  
_**by Little Miss Giggle**_

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**Chapter Forty-Fourty: Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down**

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_I know I let you down but it's not like that now  
This time I'll never let you go_

_I will be all that you want and get myself together  
'Cause you keep me from falling apart  
All my life, I'll be with you forever  
To get you through the day and make everything okay_

— I Will Be, Avril Lavigne

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**A/N:**** Last chapters guys! (Don't worry; there will also be an epilogue!) And I warn you, it's a long one! **Thank you so much for sticking around with this long story, especially if you've been reading since it was first published, back in 2007 (before it was deleted once in 2009). Thank you, thank you, thank you! And thank you to all the hundred and one of you who reviewed the last chapter—you did it guys! This story's reviews are officially over 2000! So, thank you to:Eschewwsme143, Animegirlfreak17, xox-popper, distan33, Crimson R, icecreamlover98, Shimmerinq, Little Rainy Boots, almostlover, Bane Flower, Reality Romance, heart-teen, AnimeLuver748, angelcheonsa, hiatusfornow13, NeverHeardOfYou, nightraven54, Tribal Addict, SonyaShulen, pwenie, Amethyst Petals, Emmoria, f0r3vaH-y0urS.88, StupidityNowOffersWisdom, yellowishearts, Lady Monroe, xxxusui0918xxx, Little Cute Girl (MY DEAR! How did your AS go?!), mixanxnatsumexorange, RighteousHate, Rina Nina, Miss Evana, Jennaii, obessedfan101, VerticalLife, keaRy anCe, Crystalized Blood, Honoko-chi, WhenLightningStrikes, .Sugoi, bubblefizz001, emliy02, MyTwinklingStar, Sinderalla, Devilish Dream, I eat PacMan, peashooter, ChiKazex, Dnnize, 626, Chi-tanda, I-am-always-me-24, NULLIFIEDD, AwkHawk, Little Miss Fan, TheVanishingSpectacles, KairiChoi, mercilessjustice, xMilkyTea, moonacre99, bubblegum 1457, SapphireAngel96, naEhBot, Rakusumita Deui, BlueJeanne (thanks for giving me the apocalyptic number 2012 review—that made me chuckle!), DianXx , TohruMitsuki, hayoona _AND_ to thirty-one **Guest** reviewers, who I wish I could name all down too!

Now, enjoy and happy reading!

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Natsume inhaled deeply into his blanket that morning when he was on the brink of waking up. He was stirring; his mind was slowly but surely starting to function as he stretched out his fingers hand by hand. His mind vaguely told himself that he had slept well and felt well-rested and with that thought in mind, Natsume turned so he was lying down with his back on the bed. His eyes were not yet open—still closed—and little questions like what time could it possibly be did churn in his head and then all of a sudden it was as if a meteorite of a thought came crashing wholly and unexpectedly into his mind, only to wedge itself deep into his psyche. A meteorite of a thought that had everything to do with last night—

"Mikan," Natsume sat up; wrenching his eyes open was not hard as his thoughts were swimming and brimming about her. He might have felt a bit silly if she had indeed been next to him when he sat up so dramatically and suddenly but all Natsume saw beside him on his bed was an empty space.

Empty.

He was all alone.

Pulling his legs up, Natsume rested his head on his knees (he was still sat in his bed) as he tried to recollect all of his thoughts—last night, he was alone in this hotel room when a knock came and instead of it being Aoi, it was Mikan, who after a short while professed her love to him to which he responded by asking her out? . . . _Yes, yes_ . . . And then after deciding she were to spend the night they embarked on their second night together in a hotel room . . .

But then where was Mikan now?

Had he dreamt it all? Had it all been just a dream?

A darker thought crossed Natsume's mind: what if she had just left him alone in bed in the hotel room? After all that was pretty much exactly what he had done to _her_ . . . his fate was to be forever alone . . . that dark thought was dragging him, dragging him down, down, down . . .

The sound of a door swinging open brought forth the sound of a soft, happy hum and consequently brought Natsume out of his sinister thoughts; he snapped his head up to the source of these sounds only for him to see Mikan (clothed in his teeshirt (that she was to use as pyjamas) that um, well, she never actually managed to put on last night) closing the bathroom door behind her.

Natsume's abrupt movement caused Mikan to look straight at him, in a rather startled manner but when she saw that he was sat up awake with his eyes wide open, Mikan warmly smiled at him, "Good morning, Natsume! Did you sleep well? You were sleeping so peacefully I couldn't wake you up but it's already—" if she were to have finished her sentence Mikan was intent on telling him the time but she didn't. The reason to why she didn't finish her sentence was because it was _then _she noticed the look in his eyes.

The expression in Natsume's eyes was so pitiable—he looked like a scared little boy yet at the same time he looked so surprised at the sight of Mikan.

". . . Natsume? Are you okay?" Without waiting for a reply (that didn't seem to be coming anyway) Mikan made her way closer to their bed and once she reached it, she climbed upon it with her knees only to shuffle close by his side, her gaze firmly locked with his eyes.

Once Mikan was close and once he blinked, that pitiable expression dissolved slightly, and then came Natsume's voice: "I thought . . ." Without finishing his sentence Natsume looked away rather guiltily.

He didn't have to finish his sentence for Mikan to know what exactly was going on in his mind.

Last night, after their apologies had been said for the last time, he seemed and acted fine—well, fine in Natsume's way—in the sense that he joked around and took all of her remarks with a cool smile. The last thing she remembered of their second night together was that he was holding her waist from behind, telling her over and over what she meant to him, so, it was expected of Mikan to be surprised that morning when she saw such a unknown and dissimilar look (from last night) on his face that was full of despair and self-deprecation.

She knew that Natsume had been depressed for a while now yet she really only had a glimpse of it earlier that summer (really_ only_ a glimpse). And it was really then, as she sat next to him on their bed trying to get back his attention that Mikan realized that she would _never _fully know the depth of his depression and hurting as his friends who were there beside him these past two years did. He still had a long, long way to go. After all, Natsume's wounds would not and could not heal over night (even with her presence); she should have guessed that much and the only thing she could do was just to watch and stay by Natsume as they did slowly but surely heal. Who knows how long his past wounds would take to heal—it could be months or years but either way, Mikan was prepared to be right beside him.

"Natsume," Mikan softly called his name again as she put her hand on his cheek this time, "please look at me."

Natsume did not move, but when he felt her other hand on the other side of his cheek Natsume's eyes flickered in her direction, only to see that she had a warm smile present on her face.

"Please look at me." She whispered again. "Please."

It took a few silent seconds but Natsume's face was facing her again and he willed his eyes to look into her tender ones.

"You thought wrong, Natsume. I'm here and I didn't leave you. I never would and never will, alright? I'm _here _with you." The pads of Mikan's thumbs were at this point gently stroking the skin directly below his eyes. Her actions and soft words made Natsume realise she _was _really there with him and that it was her will to do so.

Natsume had been too overwhelmed last night to think of any darker possibilities of her appearance and that was probably why it had come crashing down upon him that morning (especially when he saw she wasn't there beside him in bed). It had become a habit, a very dark habit indeed, to put himself down after all.

_(I'm Yours, _The Script)

_You've touched these tired eyes of mine  
And mapped my face line by line  
And some how growing old feels fine  
I listen close for I'm not smart  
You wrap your thoughts and works of art  
And there hanging on the walls of my heart._

Natsume sat up straight so he could move one of his hands, which had been supporting him, to place it over one of Mikan's, which was still rested on his cheek. Natsume held her hand tightly in his as he felt his heartpace (which had been on rampage as soon as he saw the empty space beside him) slow down to a healthy level.

"It's okay, Natsume. I'm _really _here. I came here last night, we made up, we got back together _annnd_," a silly smile crossed Mikan's face, "we professed our love to one another before we made sweet love under the heavens!"

Natsume couldn't help his very own silly smile make its way up to his face as Mikan dramatically confirmed to him what he thought had happened last night _had _indeed been reality. She was so perfect for him—she knew exactly what to do and say to make the dark clouds above his heads go away.

_I may not have the softest touch  
I may not say the words as such  
And though I may not look like much  
I'm yours._

"Oh yeah?" Natsume probed in his own joking manner, "Did we really?"

Mikan smiled. "Yes." She kissed him perfunctorily. "We did. It wasn't a dream."

"Well, that's a relief." It was Natsume's turn to kiss Mikan, but just before he could, she slightly moved, resulting in Natsume to kiss only the corner of her lips.

"On a serious note though," the childish glow in her eyes dimmed slightly, "are you alright?"

"Yes." Natsume answered, perhaps a little too quickly and when he saw Mikan's urging and dubious expression, he had no choice but to add, "I'm okay now. I'm sorry for scaring you, it's just I . . . I'm still, you know . . ."

_And though my edge is maybe rough  
I never feel I'm quite enough  
And it may not seem like very much  
But I'm yours._

Mikan took the initiative when Natsume's sentence trailed off into nothingness. "Hey, that's not a problem."

"It _is _a problem. I get—. . .it sometimes happens. You know, bad thoughts. It comes and goes but sometimes they stay a little too long." Natsume explained, in a manner that hinted that he was embarrassed of his bouts of depression.

"Nobody's expecting you to be fine in a day, Natsume. These things take time. The fact that they take time to heal _isn't _a problem. It's a problem if you act upon them and do something rash but the fact that they happen is only natural, alright? There's nothing wrong with you and you shouldn't be ashamed."

Natsume, who at this point had his hands in Mikan's hair, nodded only for him to then pull her into an embrace. "I love you."

Mikan smiled, "I love you too, you silly thing."

Their first night together had been so special. Their first morning-after however had been disastrous. Their second night together had been just as special, if not more special than their first night. Their second morning-after was enriched with sweet words and promise, the big difference being that neither of them had any plans of leaving each other as did happen on their first morning-after.

"I ordered us some room service. A lot, in fact!" Mikan suddenly announced, as she pushed herself away from Natsume and eventually their bed. "I thought you might be hungry—I know I am!"

"Oh?" Natsume's eyebrows quirked as his expression turned lewd. "Lacking in energy from all the energy output from last night's little fun activity with _me_ perhaps?"

Mikan was carefully looking through Aoi's clothes when Natsume bawdy response came and all _she _could do in response to that was turn a bit pink in the cheek and answer, "Shut up, you old pervert."

Mikan heard Natsume laugh, "I'm sorry but wasn't it you who said something about making sweet love or something? _You_ talked about last night _first_."

Mikan, who at this point was pulling a pair of jeans from Aoi's pile of clothes, turned to Natsume to reply, "Well I said 'sweet' and there's nothing perverted about that. Hey, do you think Aoi would mind if I borrowed these jeans from her? Just for today?"

Natsume's gaze flickered to the dark blue jeans in Mikan's hands. "I'm sure she won't mind. Go ahead."

Mikan didn't need to be told twice as she slipped Aoi's jeans on. "There!" she sighed once they were buttoned up, "Done!" Mikan inspected herself in the mirror briefly; she didn't look great but she looked considerably better than she did last night, there was no doubt about that. On top, she still wore Natsume's teeshirt that were _supposed _to have been used as pyjamas last night . . .

"I suppose I better get changed too." came Natsume's voice from their bed and Mikan caught Natsume rustling the sheets in attempt to get up, and she also didn't miss Natsume's low murmur which seemed to have consisted mainly of where the hell his boxers were.

"Stay in bed, Natsume." Mikan lightly ordered as she made her way to Natsume again. "I plan to spend the _whole _day with you today in here so there's no need."

Natsume pointedly looked at her with one of his eyebrows raised, as if to say, 'who's the pervert now, huh?' but really, he was in no way complaining about her little command. But then, a thought hit him that made him think otherwise, "You said you ordered room service though. I can't possibly open the door with just sheets wrapped around me."

Mikan paused in contemplation before she started to giggle (no doubt she had just imagined that _very _scenario) but then, after her giggle dissipated, she said, "Well I'll just get the door then!"

Natsume slightly frowned at her answer. "But if you do that they would know that you stayed in my room for the night. And there's nothing innocent about that, especially when everybody already seems to know that we have a past."

Mikan grinned, "They won't _necessarily _think that." She was thinking mainly about the time—it was nearly one o'clock in the afternoon, so even if she did open the door it could seem as if she just popped in for a visit during the day. But Mikan didn't voice this, instead she continued, "I mean, it's not only _your _room. It's also Aoi's! And besides, why should we care if they did guess that I stayed in my room for the night? Because the fact is that I did."

When Mikan saw Natsume's face, which mirrored his confused inner mind slightly, she could do nothing else but explain with a serene smile on her face, "Natsume, I _want _the world to know that I'm yours and that you're mine. I don't want to be hiding away in the shadows about our relationship, not this time . . ." Hiding their relationship and not telling her friends had been a huge detrimental mistake of their past and that was a mistake Mikan had no intention of making again. Mikan had already made a mental note that after breakfast with Natsume she would call all of her friends to break the news of their reconciliation and her feelings. And then, as if on cue, there was a little knock on the door followed by a voice that announced itself as room service. "So _I'll _go, okay?"

Natsume nodded, approving.

He didn't want to hide this time either. He too wanted the whole world to know that Mikan was _his _girlfriend and only his and that they also had a future as well as a past.

**.0.**

Had the lady who brought the room service pick up anything about Natsume and Mikan's relationship? That was uncertain as her expression seemed rather blasé—either she had no clue who either of them were (or simply did not care) or she was a master of the poker-face and should as a result go to Las Vegas to win millions.

Who knows..

Either way, Natsume's first reaction (after the lady had left) when he saw the food that Mikan had ordered was, "Who the _hell _is going to pay for all of that!"

Twenty minutes later, not even nearly half of all the food Mikan had ordered had been finished (which highlights the sheer amount she ordered, no?) and the two of them were sat side by side on the bed, with Natsume's head resting on the headrest of the bed and Mikan's head resting on her boyfriend's shoulder. Mikan, who had her legs stretched out, had the basket of croissant, which came with all the rest of the food, resting on her lap.

"I love croissants." Mikan absent-mindedly commented as she picked another one up. After she took three bites of it (with Natsume watching her rather adoringly from the side) she lifted her head off Natsume's shoulders in order to look at him and to say, "We should go to Paris one day together!"

"What? To eat croissants?" Natsume smirked before he noticed that she had a few croissant flakes resting on the outlines of her lips.

Mikan laughed at Natsume's response before she gave him the last bite of her croissant. "Yes _and _because it's Paris full stop!"

After Natsume had swallowed the buttery croissant, he lowered his head towards her's and said, "We should." with a smile on his face before he started to kiss the outline of her lips, effectively kissing all of the flakes and crumbs off her face.

Mikan couldn't help but giggle and shut her eyes as he did so and once he seemed satisfied by her cleanliness and once he rested his head back on the headrest, she turned to him to kiss him on the nose. "That tickled!"

The corners of Natsume's lips turned up even more. "Good."

"I'm full now."

"Good."

Mikan put the basket of croissants away onto the bedside table, before she turned back to meet Natsume's placid expression. The expression itself made Mikan so happy (as if she wasn't so happy already!) and it also made everything felt so dream-like as she couldn't yet fully believe what had happened and what had changed in the last few hours. Unknown to her, Natsume too was having these similar thoughts and he really couldn't stop himself from blurting out, "I love you."

He had said those three words to her more to her last night than he ever thought he would in his _lifetime_. The words just couldn't stop coming, really. He was becoming a sap and the fact that he didn't _mind_ he was becoming one was scaring him a little . . .

But Mikan beamed, happy at his spontaneity and quite pleased that she was the only one (as far as she knew) that could turn Natsume Hyuuga into a lovestruck fool. "I know."

Natsume raised his eyebrows before he playfully urged, "_And_ . . .?"

Mikan rolled her eyes but her lips were upturned and then she fulfilled his wishes with a mock-tired sigh, "_And _I love you too." Natsume then had plans to kiss her, but they didn't really carry out as at that point Mikan started to fidget uncomfortably. "Aoi's jeans! They're too tight, dammit!" Even she could laugh at that along with Natsume, but then, she abruptly stopped as her comment acted as a very important reminder. "I have to call my friends!" she exclaimed, and before Natsume could process what she had just said, Mikan was already bouncing around trying to find her bag which contained her phone.

"Aha! Found it!" Mikan pulled her phone out of her bag, and whilst she was unlocking it came Natsume's voice, "Hey Mikan?"

"Mmm? What's up?" she responded as she was going through her contact's list.

"Do you mind not telling Aoi?"

Mikan snapped her head towards Natsume with a bewildered look plastered across her face yet she did not question Natsume, instead waited for his explanation.

"I kind of want to tell Aoi about us together. I want to tell her too. So do you mind waiting to tell her?"

"No, of course that's alright!" Mikan answered, happy that Natsume _wanted_ to take part in telling Aoi the news and also by their reconstructed relationship evident by this desire of his. "And hey, you don't have to have my permission about _that_, silly!" Mikan with that amused smile on her face, turned back to look at her phone (specifically her contact's list) and it didn't take her long to find her Hotaru, Sumire, Anna and Nonoko. Pressing Hotaru's name first, she connected the rest of them into a conference call and before the lines were connected, she turned to look at Natsume, "I might be a while so I'll just pop into the bathroom, okay?"

Natsume nodded but then added, "I don't mind—you can stay there if you want."

Before she reply (to Natsume) Mikan heard Sumire's voice through her phone, "_Hello Miss Sakura! I was wondering when you would call me—"_

"_Hello, Mikan?" _came Anna's voice.

"_Huh?!" _Sumire barked, confused hearing Anna's voice.

"_Dummy, why didn't you pick up any of my calls?_" came the voice of Hotaru.

"_What the—_" (Sumire)

"_Hey Mikan! What's up!" _Anna's sugary voice came.

"_Okay," _came Sumire's voice, which was laced with bewilderment, _"can somebody please explain what is going on?"_

Mikan laughed, "It's a conference call Perms! And hey to all of you!" Mikan couldn't really differentiate the different voices that greeted Mikan back in reply and before she could say anything else Mikan was then bombarded with questions about how her concert last night was and whether she managed to meet Aoi after it.

"_Speaking of which, where's Aoi? Did her phone not connect or something?_"

"No, Anna—I'll explain that later but first I need to ask are you guys busy? Or are you free to talk? I need at least ten minutes with all of you!"

"_You just caught me on my lunch break so I'm good._" was Sumire's response.

"_Free as a bird!" _Anna and Nonoko both answered simultaneously. "_In fact we're together right now at home_." Anna added.

"Ahh, silly me! I should have just called your house phone." Mikan who had been crouching beside her bag stood up due to the pains that accumulated in her thighs from doing so. "And Hotaru? What about you?" As she asked and waited for Hotaru's answer she rather unconsciously climbed back into bed, next to Natsume, only to snuggle closer to him.

Natsume didn't mind at all and just let her do so as he silently slithered his left arm around her shoulders to pull her closer to him.

"_I'm free."_

"Brilliant. Okay, before I say anything else I just want to warn you that . . . what I say might come as a huge shock to you so _please _make sure you're not somewhere where freaking out and shouting and perhaps even swearing is a big no-no . . ."

Silence ensued on the phone, but then Sumire exclaimed, _"Oh my God. Don't tell me that you've finally realized you might like Kaname—"_

Mikan abruptly sat up straight, surprising Natsume. "What! No! Permy!" Mikan didn't know whether to laugh or to smash her head against a wall as after all, Sumire was on both the right track (that her big news was about a boy) and the completely wrong track (that that boy was Kaname . . .). "Permy, I've _told _you a billion and one times that I do _not _like Kaname like that. Now I've told you a billion and _two_ times and let's hope this time you remember it!" Mikan said, reminding her dear friend and when she was done saying that, she heard a little 'a_hem_' from behind her. Mikan glanced back to see Natsume with a frown on his face, obviously not liking the fact that Kaname was their topic of conversation at that present moment. Mikan could only look at him apologetically as the conversation on the phone continued:

"_Then what is it? What happened?_" Anna asked, her tone expressing that she was a bit concerned at this point.

"_Is it good news or bad news?" _Hotaru questioned.

"It's definitely good news for me." Mikan took the chance to put her free hand on Natsume's knee (as his legs were propped up, under the sheets of course), "But I don't know how you guys will take it when I tell you but please know I haven't been this happy in a longtime, alright?" She felt her happiness bubble when, after saying that statement, she felt Natsume's warm hand on top of her's. "I . . . I can imagine that you all will be really shocked when you first hear this and so probably my explanation might not really go in so I promise to you all now that I will explain all of this fully later on as well, okay?"

"_Did you buy a pet?" _was Nonoko's pet before Mikan could tell them all the truth.

Mikan laughed, "If it were just a pet I'm sure you guys wouldn't freak out.

"_Oh God. Please don't say drugs." _came Hotaru's voice.

"Hotaru! You should know better that I would never touch drugs!"

"_Just tell us already!—Oh wait, I know, I know! It's one of your back-up vocalist, isn't it?_" Sumire guessed again and she didn't even let Mikan reply as she joyously exclaimed,_ "I knew it! I've always said he was good-looking, haven't I, Nonoko?"_

"No Permy, it has nothing to do with back-up vocalist. I don't know which one you are talking about but just so you know they are all gay."

"_Oh . . . then what is it?"_

"Well stop guessing and I'll tell you!" Mikan laughed, amused by her friends' strange guesses. Really, sometimes she wondered why her friends thought _she _was the weird one . . . "Okay, so, here goes nothing. Brace yourselves." Mikan glanced in the direction of Natsume for a little encouragement and when she received exactly that from him, just by his expression, she continued, "Well so you all know I'm in Sapporo and that Aoi is here too, right? I'm here for my concert but Aoi's here because she was invited by Natsume and in order to support him for . . ." she tightened her grip on Natsume, comfortingly, "his court case."

"_Yeah of course we know that and that news is definitely not 'freak-out' worthy."_

"Patience is a virtue, Perms!" Mikan scolded playfully only to hear the strings of amused giggles from all the lines. "Continuing now: well, um, last night after the concert I met up with Aoi—which you all know—and we went for ramen the two of us and that was when she told me that _Crimson Abyss_ had just released a new song that day—"

"_Oooh, yes I heard it on the radio—"_

"_Shouda, shut up."_

Mikan snorted, "Thank you, Hotaru! Anyway, so, she told me and I was surprised . . . and for some reason I felt . . . I can't describe it but I think Aoi knew exactly what I was feeling and so she told me the hotel and the room number of where both she and Natsume are staying . . ." Sumire did not interrupt Mikan this time. The line was silent; all of her friends were trying to figure out where this conversation could possibly be heading. "And after we said goodbye—it was late—I went back to my hotel and had a shower only to come out and hear their new song on the radio and before I knew it I was making my way to their hotel . . ."

"_Mikan . . . are you possibly . . ."_

Mikan took a big breath before she finally confirmed, "I'm back with Natsume Hyuuga."

**.0.**

**Sumire **

"_I'm back with Natsume Hyuuga."_

There was a pause from all the ends of the line, yet it was Sumire who said and did something first. She was on her lunch break, yes, but she was still in the middle of Shibuya, in a Starbucks specifically, yet all of these facts flew straight out of the window and were soon forgotten, for Sumire reacted by slamming her free right hand down on the table (effectively spilling her matcha latte) and springing up from her seat, only to exclaim (very loudly), "WHAT! You're back with _Natsume Hyuuga?!_"

Sumire was not ignoring all the annoyed looks and murmurs she received from everybody around her, no, it was more that she did not even realize them or even what was even going on around her she was so astounded. "Are you shitting me?!"

**.0.**

**Anna and Nonoko**

"_No, Permy, I'm not. I'm with him right now in fact."_

Both Anna and Nonoko's jaws were gaped wide open as they heard Mikan confirm what she had first said, something which they both thought was either a joke or a dream. It seemed as if eternity passed after Mikan had confirmed what she had first said. But then, something clicked in Anna—a question that had been lingering on her tongue finally made its way out: "You mean to say you're back with the boy who . . . who did all that to you two years ago? A-Are you sure that's the right thing to do, Mikan?"

Mikan didn't answer for a while, but then came her quiet response, _"I love him._" Anna and Nonoko looked at each other, their eyes wide with shock and, well, disbelief. She just said the L-word! "_It's just took me last night to realize my feelings. And . . . and you guys all know the truth. I mean the truth to why he did all he did two years ago and how he's been ever since . . ."_

"Mikan," Nonoko carefully said, not wanting to offend or hurt Mikan, "are you sure you're not just back with him because . . . you know, you feel sorry for him?"

**.0.**

**Mikan and Natsume**

"—_are you sure you're not just back with him because . . . you know, you feel sorry for him?" _

"What!" Mikan pushed herself off the bed itself and stood on her two feet. She knew Nonoko only said that as a caring friend (after all, this _was _Natsume Hyuuga) but Mikan could not accept that her friends might be thinking that she was only back with Natsume because she pitied him. She needed them to know that she _genuinely _loved Natsume and wouldn't be back with him if she wasn't. "No, of course not!" Mikan started to pace back and forth as she explained, "I love him and that's the only reason to why I'm back with Natsume, nothing else." Mikan abruptly stopped pacing, and turned to look back at Natsume, only to see to see his expression which was obviously trying to hide a very raw hurt emotion behind his rather expressionless façade. "I love Natsume." She repeated yet again as she looked straight at the man in question.

"_Don't you think that's a bit sudden though, sweetie?_" questioned Sumire, very gently. It seemed as if Sumire had calmed down from her initial shock. _"I mean . . . you did love him before so perhaps those old feelings have just, you know, resurfaced? I mean you did say it was only last night—"_

Mikan clutched her hair helplessly as she tried to make things clearer: "No, no—what I meant is that I started to fall in love with him _again_, for the second time, since the summer if you want to be exact, and it was only last night that I realized that."

"_But—"_

**.0.**

**Hotaru**

"Shouda," Hotaru interrupted, finally speaking for the first time after Mikan's announcement. Hotaru herself was in her and Mikan's apartment, sitting on her bed, and admittedly, even she didn't know how to react when Mikan first sprung the news upon them. Yet now, now that Mikan had said some more things, a realization hit Hotaru and she interrupted Sumire before her or the other two could say anymore that could potentially hurt her best friend. "Mikan is telling you all the truth this time. It was never going to be an easy thing to do."

"_But Hotaru—"_

"I was there in Nagoya when Natsume apologized to Mikan." Hotaru firmly said, not letting Sumire get her way. "I was there after Mikan had heard all Hyuuga had to say to her. I never told any of you because I felt it was insignificant and because I thought I was reading too much into my best friend, but the signs were there _then. _And . . . and if Mikan is saying that she loves him then perhaps that should be enough for us. Not to mention . . . if me, the bitch who still hasn't fully forgiven Hyuuga is willing to accept Mikan's feelings then perhaps we all should find space to accept it too. It might take time for us to be _happy_ for both Mikan and Hyuuga but for now the least we can do is just accept their relationship and I'm sure that one day a day will come when we can make up our minds about it with no bias or prejudice. And Mikan said she hasn't been this happy in a long time—who are we to break that happiness?"

**.0.**

_**Sixteen minutes later . . .**_

Mikan was still standing when she bid all of her friends goodbye on the phone, only for a long tired sigh to follow straight after she hung up on them. The conversation took longer than she expected, and although it didn't go as well as she hoped it would, it was definitely a start. Mikan had no intention of not telling her friends the truth after all and even if this truth was and did seem like a difficult one for them to grasp and understand she was willing to wait for it to sink it.

At least she had made it clear to her four friends that she truly did love Natsume.

". . . So?"

Natsume's cautious voice brought Mikan back from a distant land she had just traveled to in her head, and she twirled her body around in order to face him.

She didn't really want to tell Natsume some of the things her friends had said but she didn't want to lie either, so Mikan opted to vaguely but truthfully answer, "I think it might take time for them to accept us."

Natsume nodded. "Fair enough." But then a half-amused smirk came across his features, "I bet that Imai wants to castrate me now or something."

Mikan laughed. "Actually Hotaru was by far the most supportive one. She defended you . . . three times in fact."

Natsume found that hard to believe as despite her civil manner she displayed when they traveled together to Nagoya, throughout the whole journey, she had been adamant with her belief that Mikan did not want Natsume back today or tomorrow.

"It'll all be okay though," Mikan added with a bright smile that could or could not have been forced, "they'll see one day, don't worry Natsume."

They would see one day she was sure of it.

"I suppose it's time for us to break the happy news to Aoi then?" Natsume suggested as he patted the empty space next to him, telling her without words to get her arse back in bed.

"Definitely!" Mikan obliged to both his suggestion and his pointed patting of the empty space beside him. She didn't need to be told twice and once she was comfortably nestled back against him, Mikan started to look for Aoi's name in her contact's list on her phone. "Are you going to call your friends up, Natsume?"

"No need," was his reply, "they're coming here this afternoon. I'll tell them then." And before Mikan would press the 'call' button on her phone, Natsume took her phone away from her hands.

"Hey—"

"We'll use _my _phone." With a smirk on his face Natsume reached his arm out so the phone in his hand was out of reach for Mikan's much shorter arms.

Mikan furrowed her eyebrows before a snort-giggle escaped her lips. "Is that your way of being a gentleman?"

"Well I thought I was doing a damn well good job of it. Think, I'm offering that we use my phone with the thought of your credit and phone bills in mind."

"I'm perfectly okay at paying my own phone bills and I'm sure one call to Aoi won't leave me in debt, Natsume!" Mikan laughed, finding his dry humour so endearing as it was so . . . _bad_.

By the time she was done laughing however, Natsume had already dialed his little sister's number: "Too late." He commented with a grin on his face before he put the line on speaker so Mikan could hear and even join the conversation when they broke it to her that they were back together.

The phone rang thrice before Aoi picked up, _"Hey Natsume! Guess who I just bumped into—"_

"_Hola!" _came the voice of Koko all of a sudden, surprising Mikan. She hadn't heard his voice or seen him as a matter of fact for two years!

"_Don't forget us! Us means me and Ruka by the way,_" now said the voice of Kitsune-me, and Mikan couldn't help the inexplicable expression that crossed her face—after all, the three boys by now only seemed like characters from a book she had read a long time ago . . . she briefly wondered how they were and had to stop herself from greeting them all then and there.

"Pass the phone back to my sister you idiots," Natsume muttered, amused.

"_Well there's really no need to speak on the phone, Natsume,_" came Aoi's sweet voice after the obvious sound of the boys passing back Aoi's mobile to her, _"We're just outside the hotel room. I'll speak to you in a second." _And on cue, indeed, without having time to react Natsume and Mikan suddenly heard sounds from outside the hotel room and before they knew it, Mikan and Natsume heard the click of the main door, followed by the sound of Koko's obnoxiously loud voice—"Good afternoon Natsume," and footsteps, "how are—HOLY SHIT!"

Mikan screamed.

Koko screamed.

Aoi screamed louder than the two upon the sight of a girl and Natsume on top of his bed before she turned around on her heel so she had her back turned to them. As if that wasn't enough, Aoi then put both her hands to her eyes.

"What in the world is going on—_OH MY GOD."_ Ruka's jaw dropped and his eyes comically bulged at the sight before him.

"Ah shit!" Natsume cursed, regretting gravely that he was naked (under the sheets, thank god) and his _friends _and _sister _had just walked in on Mikan and himself on top of his bed. Fair enough, it wasn't as if they were _doing _anything at that present moment, nor was Mikan naked to his relief but the fact that he so obviously naked underneath the blankets kind of hinted to his friends _and _sister what the two had been up to before their arrival.

"WHAT THE HELL." Kitsune-me gawked. "MI-MIKAN?"

"WHAT?!" Aoi exclaimed, snapping her head back around with an incredulous expression. "MIKAN?"

Mikan, who at this point was _completely _red in the face could do nothing else but stammer a squeaky, "H-Hello!" in greeting. How else was she supposed to act?! What else was she supposed to do?!

"What are you all doing here?" Natsume demanded as he pulled more of the blanket around him.

"W-What are _we_ doing here?! What kind of question is that! What is Mikan doing here?" Kitsune-me demanded but then his eyes flickered in the direction of Natsume's naked chest . . . "Wait, don't answer that."

"It's two o'clock, Natsume," Ruka helpfully pointed out as he tried to direct his gaze outside the window, "you told us to come at two, remember?"

_Shit, it's already two?_ Natsume mentally swore—he was completely unaware of the time! He thought it was only around ten o'clock; never in his life had he slept-in till after noon!

Mikan shot a glare at Natsume that said nothing but _why didn't you say we were going to have guests a two?!_

Natsume, ignoring Mikan's pointed look, cleared his throat, intent of calming _everybody _down: "Right. I'm going to get dressed so perhaps you can all just wait downstairs in the lobby? You can all come back up in ten minutes or so." A murmur between the boys okay-ed Natsume's suggestion, before he continued, "And let's not beat around the bush—yes, it's Mikan and yes she spent the night with me. And to make another thing clear Mikan and I," a boyish grin came across his face before he _officially _broke the news, "are back together."

**.0.**

It took a great deal of explaining, food and alcohol for the boys to _finally _believe that Natsume and Mikan were indeed back together and very much in love all over again. Unlike most of the girls who seemed rather nervous about this piece of news for the time being, the boys took it completely in a different manner and celebrated (after the initial shock) the happy tidings (and that was when the alcohol came . . .). It felt surreal to all of them, and that day, Mikan got a chance to have a nice lengthy chat with Aoi. Aoi, of course, was at first mortified (after having seeing her brother's state in bed which hinted more than she _ever _wanted to know) but when that feeling of horror (of the thought that her friend and brother in bed together) passed, she too couldn't help but celebrate with the boys.

Her brother had been in the wrong two years ago but he was sincerely sorry for all his mistakes and also sincerely in love with Mikan Sakura.

"You knew about my feelings, didn't you?" Mikan asked Aoi when they were together alone, talking a walk in the streets of Sapporo that very same day. "That's why you took the initiative to tell me about your hotel and hotel room . . ."

"Well," Aoi truthfully said, "I had an inkling but I never thought . . . I just thought you might want to give Natsume a call. I never thought that you'd actually _go_!"

"But you knew! How?"

Aoi put her finger to her lip before she answered, "I couldn't miss that look you had on your face from a mile away, Mikan. It was written all over your face. So I gave you the option, just in case. And well," she thought of her brother's jubilant look, "I'm glad now that you took it. You both deserve it."

The celebration really however lasted for that day only. After all, the reason to why the boys had planned to come meet Natsume in the first place that day had nothing to do with celebration, in fact, it was about the Hearing scheduled on the 20th of November. The 20th of November was only a corner away and they had come to announce that a press conference with _Crimson Abyss _was also scheduled on that very same day, after the prosecution. Such news was given to Natsume later in the evening (after Mikan had fallen asleep due to too much alcohol consumption) and although talks of it scared Natsume right down to the bones, knowing that Mikan would be there for him (like she had promised the night before) just like she was there for him then, lying down on his lap drunk, seemed to soothe his frenzied state of mind to an extent.

And besides, really, this all meant that he was only a corner away from freedom. Yes freedom. He knew he was going to get a sentence tomorrow, be it community service or anything else which to any sane person meant the completely opposite of freedom but to Natsume Hyuuga, being judged and hearing the verdict _was _his freedom from his past.

**.0.**

**20****th**** November**

The day itself was a cold Winter's day and by noon Natsume's verdict was presented in front of the court. Natsume Hyuuga would pay for his crimes by 200 hours of community service, mainly due to the fact that he was only a minor when it was committed. This all seemed like quite a light punishment on Natsume Hyuuga, many of the jury complained, as Natsume Hyuuga was no longer fifteen yet a grown adult by the time of the court case.

But the judge's decision was final.

By twelve thirty, Natsume's father, Takeshi and multi-billionaire Serio Persona were also convicted for their wicked actions. But Natsume did not care about them at all—he didn't want to feel that he had won out in this court case because his father got a worse verdict; no, that was not the point to why he was here and he did in no way blame his father more than he blamed himself.

By two o'clock, all of the members of _Crimson Abyss _were sat in the front of a press conference room, which was situated twenty minutes away from the High Court by car. The room itself was a simple one—white and clean—yet it was crawling with the press, who all had their recording devices at hand, and some with big video cameras directed straight at the four boys who sat at the front. Yet in the room also stood two females had no cameras by their side, instead, just seemed to be waiting. Indeed, the press conference was just about to start and had not actually yet begun, and these two women just stood in the corner of the white clean room.

"Hey, who do you suppose they are?" one of the reporters asked his colleague, nudging him and hinting him to look over his shoulder. The particular reporter was very skinny and had a very thick pair of glasses perched on his nose.

His colleague seemed only disgruntled to be interrupted from focusing his camera and thus only half-heartedly glanced behind his shoulder. "Groupies?" he shrugged, "How am I supposed to know. Don't distract me, Fujimoto. We can't miss anything."

But Fujimoto couldn't help glance back again and this time he noticed the two were _not _women but perhaps _girls. _They still looked very young, and were both very beautiful. And then, it suddenly hit him!

"Hey, hey, hey, hey!" he nudged his colleague again, who seemed less than displeased. "No seriously! Isn't that _Mikan Sakura?!_ Hyuuga's ex?!"

"Right so," came Tobita Yuu's voice from the front of the room, which effectively caused every reporter in the room to turn on all their gadgets on. Yuu was not sat like the other four but instead was stood just beside them dressed very smartly. "We have now officially started this press conference. Let me remind you that this only lasts for fifteen minutes. Members of _Crimson Abyss _are also allowed to decline in answering certain questions."

"Wow," Mikan, who was indeed stood with Aoi in the corner of the room, "Yuu's all grown up! I remember when he couldn't finish a sentence without stuttering."

Aoi giggled but then she turned her full attention back to her brother.

Both Mikan and Aoi had been there in the court when the verdict came, and Aoi (especially) had never been so moved by her brother who she now saw as one of her heroes. Surprisingly nobody had picked up on the fact that she was the 'little sister' in question throughout the court-case and nor had anybody seemed to realise Mikan's presence either. Perhaps they were all too engrossed in the court's verdict and the news that would come out of it.

"Without further ado, please proceed with the questions." Immediately after Yuu's consent, reporters started to shout the band members' name (and even Yuu's) in order to get attention.

"Right well," Yuu sighed not knowing which reporter to pick (he was given this little task by Natsume), "yes, you in the orange!"

"Yes," came the gruff voice of the reporter in orange, "this is a question directed to Natsume Hyuuga."

_Here it comes . . . _Natsume couldn't help but think as he nervously tightened his fists together in his lap to brace himself.

"Do you regret everything from what occurred on your fifteenth birthday to this year when news of it was leaked?"

Reporters all turned silent as they waited for this much anticipated answer from Natsume Hyuuga, who had not (since the truth came out) once accepted to be interviewed. Natsume cleared his throat before he answered, "There is _no_ doubt that I regret what happened on my fifteenth birthday. It's . . . I don't think I will ever forgive myself fully for it. But as for it being 'leaked', as you say, I would like to say that the news and the truth was not leaked, yet it was my actions that made it come to surface. I wanted you all to know the truth. Keeping it a secret has been detrimental to me in all possible ways. Thank you."

Streams of questions like the first one continued and most of them, if not all the questions were directed at Natsume.

"A question to all the band members," the seventh reporter questioned, "what do you see in the future? For yourselves?"

Koko was the first to answer with a grin on his face, "Well, I don't know about you but as far as I know I'm not a seer so I'm not sure I can say." This answer was followed by a polite chuckle.

Ruka added, "If you mean to ask whether we'd still be in the music industry I think the answer is no as far as we know . . ." he turned to his bandmates, pausing to see if they'd add anything to that or contradict him, but instead they all nodded, agreeing with Ruka's statement.

"So is this really the end of _Crimson Abyss?_"

"I didn't give you permission to speak!" Yuu scolded.

Ten minutes had never gone so slowly in Natsume's life. Really. The questions kept on coming making him feel as if he was being pressured into a dark cold corner, alone. Yet he knew that once their time was up he would really be _free_ and he would no longer be in that dark cold corner but instead out with his friends, Aoi and Mikan by his side.

The questions continued, and just when Natsume thought he _really _couldn't take all of this anymore, Yuu announced, "One more question left!" That induced the reporters to immediately shoot their hands up and call for attention – each as desperate as the next to get the last question that _Crimson Abyss _would ever answer. "Right . . ." Yuu sighed, not knowing whom to pick and not knowing who would perhaps have the easiest question to ask, "Um, you there! In the back! With the glasses!"

"Me?" Fujimoto the reporter pointed to himself, disbelieving his sheer luck.

"Yes you. You have the last question, go ahead!"

"Ah, right!" Fujimoto smiled before he cleared his throat – he couldn't believe his luck! This, he was sure, would be his big break! "This question is directed to Natsume Hyuuga. Well, you see, I couldn't help but notice that _Mikan Sakura _is here among us—"

The effect was immediate. Reporters from the front all the way to the reporters standing next to Fujimoto all turned to look at him incredulously yet whilst demanding, "Mikan Sakura you say?! His ex? Where?"

"Silence!" Yuu commanded from the front, desperate to restore order. _Oh why of all the reporters did I have to pick him . . ._ "Please carry on with your question and make it quick."

Ruka nervously looked at Natsume. Koko bit his lip. Kitsune-me hoped for the best. Natsume could do nothing but wait but as Mikan said, there was no point hiding something that wasn't true – really, that was what today was all about after all: coming out with the truth.

"Right." Fujimoto nodded, but he did so whilst giving the eye to the rest of the reporters which clearly told them all silently that the girl behind him in the corner with the dark brown tied-up hair and red lipstick was indeed Mikan Sakura. "So after noticing Miss Sakura in the back, I can't help but ask about Mr. Hyuuga's relationship with her and her reason for being here—"

Fujimoto was interrupted by another reporter, "Isn't that his sister?!"

Cameras for the time being were no longer directed at the four in the front but now at the two beautiful women in the back.

"Ahh crap." Mikan murmured to Aoi, who could do nothing else but hold Mikan's hand tightly next to her and force a smile at the camera.

"—have the two of you rekindled your love?" was Fujimoto's question.

Yuu was going to (attempt to) regain the reporters attention by asking politely yet there was no need for that as Natsume all of a sudden spoke very loudly and clearly, "Please leave my sister and her friend alone. They're only here to support me. And to your question," he turned to look at Fujimoto who by then was looking eagerly at Natsume as if he were a dog and Natsume was a bone, "I don't want to answer. Our private lives is not the reason to why I am here today and I don't see why I have to explain to you what Mikan is to me."

Whispers started.

"He called her Mikan!"

"Mr. Hyuuga—"

"Right!" Yuu clapped his hand. "That was the last question!" he clearly motioned to the boys that they could leave and that they didn't have to offer these strangers any more of their time. Natsume quickly stood up from his seat, ignoring all the last-minute shouts of questions and remarks before he flitted his eyes to the back of the room, only to see that both Mikan and Aoi too were escaping via the back door, unnoticed.

"Come on, let's go, Natsume." Ruka smiled, pushing his best friend's back ever so slightly. "It's over."

Ruka was right.

Natsume smiled at his best friend who had really been there for him through all this horrible dark mess. "Thanks Ruka."

His past was finally where it belonged – in the past, behind him. It was no longer to dictate his present or future. It was to stay there now forever.

The boys left via a door that only they (and Yuu) were allowed to enter and exit from, which connected them to a cloakroom where all their belongings laid. Once they were in the cloakroom, Koko and Kitsune-me began with their chatter about 'that evil git' and before Natsume could join the conversation a grunt was emitted from his lips as he was so very nearly tackled to the floor by the means of a hug from both his girlfriend and his little sister.

Natsume was surprised just because they had hugged him so out of the blue but he did know that this was going to happen sooner or later as Yuu did tell him just before he sat down that he had told Mikan and Aoi where to go after the press conference was over.

"I don't know what else to say but congratulations, I suppose!" Mikan tinkled as she backed away from Natsume to turn to the rest of the boys. One by one, she proceeded to then give them all each a similar hug she had just given to Natsume.

Aoi was still clinging to her older brother, and she couldn't help the sting of tears that came upon her eyes. She knew how much this all meant to Natsume . . . he was finally free from the chains of his past. "Well done, you." She murmured.

"Thank you, Aoi."

Aoi looked up to grin at her brother only to see he was looking down at her with thankful eyes. After giving him a quick kiss on the cheek, she turned around to look at the other three. They immediately begun their conversation about the whole ordeal (and where they should go tonight to celebrate the fact that all this nightmare was finally over!) and whilst they did so, Natsume turned his gaze to his girlfriend who was just looking at him.

"Come here, silly." She called to her boyfriend.

He did. He then embraced her.

"I'm so proud of you. Well done."

He stroked the back of her head very softly. "Thank you."

"Come on lovebirds!" Koko whistled, causing Mikan to giggle in a flushed manner and Natsume to glare at his friend's little nickname for them. "Let's go out for some ramen!"

With Mikan's hand in his own, Natsume followed his friends (who were all chanting 'ramen-ramen') to the back door exit of the building and when that door did open for him, he felt the world outside looked a little different. Perhaps the world wasn't so cruel after all, he mused as he affectionately watched Mikan's face scrunch up as she childishly complained about the cold temperature outside.

A new chapter was to finally begin. The old was dead and gone. His past was shelved away and its fate only consisted of collecting dust.

He was taking his first step outside in this new world and this time with his friends with him. Sure, the only family he really had left was Aoi but that was enough for him and enough for her too. Natsume also had Mikan and with her, the girl he was sure he was destined to live the rest of his life with, he was prepared for whatever was to come next in this new chapter of his. She'll be there after all.

It was to be his birthday in a week's time and Natsume was sure it'd be his first birthday in six years where he would actually celebrate the fact that he was alive, breathing and in this world with everybody else.

It was no mistake that he was here, he knew that now as he watched Mikan pocket both of their hands in his overcoat in order to keep both their hands warm.

_Yeah you and me we can ride on a star  
If you stay with me girl, we can rule the world  
Yeah you and me we can light up the sky  
If you stay by my side, we can rule the world._

_Life_, he tightened his grip on Mikan's small hand that was burrowed in his pocket along with his, _was in the palm of his hands._

**.0.**

**End of Chapter Forty-Four**

**.0.**

**A/N: **Don't go saying goodbye yet! We still have an **epilogue** to go which will show you all a snippet of the character's (specifically Mikan and Natsume's) life in five years time (cue to start playing _'5 Years Time by Noah and the Whale_' – give it a listen, one of my favourite songs ever. The chapter name 'Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down' is actually one of their album's name which has the song '5 Years Time' in it).

I'll post the epilogue in a week's time!

Not sure if this met to you guys' standards but I do hope you liked it.

I also didn't want to mention the sentence/verdict given to Persona and Papa Hyuuga because I didn't want this to be the typical good triumphs over evil story, you know? All Natsume wanted was the truth to be out—he didn't go and break off with Serio Records because he wanted his father and his producer's reputation to be smeared, right? If you're unhappy with that though and wish to feel JUSTICE then go ahead and review what verdict you would have given the two if you were the judge!

With that, see you for the _**last**_ time next week with the epilogue! Eek!


	49. Epilogue

**Disclaimer: **For the last time – I do **not **own Alice Gakuen! Wow, can't believe I'll never have to type that damn disclaimer ever again! Oh, and be prepared for a huge author's note ... I'll hope you'll read it! **Thank you also for all the reviews for the last chapter, especially the very honest ones! I really appreciate them all.**

**.0.**

**My Happy Ending**  
_**by Little Miss Giggle**_

**.0.**

**Epilogue**

**.0.**

_I was nurtured, I was sheltered  
I was curious and young  
I was searching for that something  
Trying to find it on the run_

_Oh, and just when I stopped looking  
I saw just how far I'd come  
In this life, in this life_

_You give me love, you give me light  
Show me everything's been happening  
I've opened up my eyes, I'm following_

_Three steps fight an honest fight  
Two hearts that can start a fire  
One love is all I need in this life_

—In This Life, Delta Goodrem  
_(thank you to _LaughXSmile_ who suggested this song to me all those years ago.)_

_**.**_**0.**

**2015, Spring time**

"Oh my _God!_ It's Natsume Hyuuga!"

Upon hearing his name, Natsume simultaneously turned around and stopped walking abruptly only to see three girls, who looked around his girlfriend's age if not a bit younger, with their mouths' gaped slightly and their eyes glittering in disbelief and admiration. Before Natsume could reply to the three girls however, the three girls shuffled closer to him and the boldest looking girl asked, "Can we please have a photo with you? Even an autograph?" Indeed, the other two girls (as their friend spoke) made her point clear by rummaging through their bags in order to find their phones and a piece of paper for an autograph.

Natsume blinked. Perhaps he should not have been as surprised as he was as this definitely wasn't the first (nor would it be the last time) he had been asked for photos and autograph. Nevertheless he was surprised, but he answered with a smile on his face, "Sure."

The girls squealed in thanks before two of them lined up beside him for a photograph while the other stood to take the photo. They took turns taking photos and Natsume felt that little sense of panic and nervousness he always did for a brief second when the camera was turned to him.

Even at the age of 25 Natsume didn't know what to do in front of a camera lens. Koko never failed to point out (and laugh) after a group photo that Natsume's face always looked contorted unless he was sitting beside Mikan, whereupon his face would be a little more relaxed. He would never dare say it out loud but he had to agree with Koko on that one.

"Is it okay?" Natsume questioned when the three girls ushered to look at the photo on their phone they had just taken with him.

"Oh, it's perfect!" the three girls chorused looking up to beam at Natsume Hyuuga; the three were extremely happy that they had bumped into the legendary Natsume Hyuuga on this sunny spring's day in Ueno Kouen. One of them then went on to say how much of a big fan of _Crimson Abyss _they all were back in the day.

Natsume expressed his gratitude and after he had signed the scraps of paper he had been handed with he gave the three girls a wave in goodbye.

Natsume Hyuuga was just an ordinary guy now. By ordinary, it meant that he lived with his long-term girlfriend Mikan Sakura, and had been doing so for three years; he had a very normal job in a tall sky-scraper building in Tokyo (related to the economy—something that Mikan did not and probably would never understand); he had friends who he went out with and had good and bad days. Sometimes he woke feeling he could take on the world and fix world poverty and other days he had to rely on his girlfriend to pull him out of his bouts of depression, which were (you'll be happy to hear) becoming less frequent as the years went by but still nevertheless happened. But yes, Natsume Hyuuga was an ordinary guy and had been away from the eyes of the media for a good four years now.

The only time he was really mentioned in the press was alongside his girlfriend, who despite being ordinary in every other sense apart from her occupation was still the famous twenty-three year old singer Mikan Sakura.

Yet it was the legacy of _Crimson Abyss _that had not been forgotten and that was the reason to why he had not faded away into the dark yet was still called upon by old fans. Natsume Hyuuga had a place in history and depending on who you asked it differed: some liked to still think of him as a dark yet legendary musician; others had a more sinister view of him whilst the other lot liked to think of Natsume Hyuuga as the 'once upon a misfit' who had become a 'good' under the influence of his 'saviour' of a girlfriend.

That was what _Tokyo Times_ said at any rate and damn did it make him cringe whilst it made Mikan do a little victory dance in their apartment, as she sung out with her arms flailing about, "I am a savioooour!"

"Thank you!" Natsume heard the three girls call after him and he couldn't help but slightly smile as he continued his way down the path of Ueno Kouen.

His and Mikan's apartment was near the park, Ueno Kouen, so they often went for walks in the park and often went to visit the zoo there too so the both of them knew Ueno Kouen relatively well now—well enough for it, on this pretty spring's day, to be their meeting point for lunch. A lunch date, if you will.

"Meet me by the fountain at twelve thirty!" Mikan had instructed him that morning as she flew out the door.

He was albeit a bit early—he lunch break started at twelve and he did not need thirty minutes to make his way all the way to Ueno, so he was surprised when he saw that Mikan was already there, sitting by the fountain waiting for him.

Natsume smiled, _she looks so cute. _There she was, his girlfriend, wearing a simple beige maxi dress that he had bought with her last summer, with her hair tied in a low bun, with her sunglasses and with a dark lipstick staining her lovely lips.

Mikan spotted him before he could call out her name.

"Hey!" Mikan stood up with a smile on her face. "You're early!" she happily remarked as she walked over to her boyfriend.

Natsume responded by taking a hold of her hand and briefly kissing her on the top of her head. "You're early too."

"I rushed here." Mikan truthfully explained as she looked up at him with a toothy grin. The two at this point were walking, drifting in the direction of the grass where many people were already sat having picnics with their friends, family or even loved ones.

Natsume was pleased by her answer. It was so _her._

"Couldn't wait to see me?" Natsume teased. "I suppose you did wake up and leave before I was even out of bed this morning." Mikan had an early meeting with her manager that morning.

"Hmm perhaps." She teased back as she started to swing their hands rather childishly. "Or perhaps it's just I couldn't wait to _eat!_"

Natsume was not pleased by this answer. But it was so _her_ as well.

Natsume had texted her at eleven-thirty that morning informing her that he could buy something for them to eat for lunch at the convenience store right by the train station and indeed whilst his right hand was occupied with holding Mikan's small hand, he held a white plastic bag filled with recently purchased things in his left hand.

Before Natsume could retort something however, Mikan continued, "It's a pretty day, isn't it? It's a perfect day for a barbeque!"

Natsume snorted in a rather dismissive manner and Mikan could do nothing else but tinkle with laughter before she scolded Natsume lightly, "Stop with your strange sounds of irritation. You're coming to the barbeque tonight whether you like it or not."

Natsume grumbled a bit more. It wasn't only that he was a bit disgruntled by the fact that he couldn't spend tonight with Mikan all to himself but it was also because he had been invited to this barbeque by _Youichi. _Of course that made sense, as after all it was barbeque that Aoi and Youichi had organised that was taking place at _their_ place but Natsume was still, even after all these years, not comfortable with Youichi.

Mainly because he knew Youichi was sleeping with his sister.

He couldn't help feel overly protective over Aoi. And that thought just didn't sit well with him, no matter how many times Mikan and Aoi had reprimanded him, saying that Aoi was perfectly smart and old enough to know what she was doing.

Still.

Youichi. Grr.

"Besides, I spoke to Aoi and she said _everybody_'s coming tonight so you _can't_ be a party-pooper and bail!" Mikan announced. "We haven't had a gathering like this since last Christmas!"

It took time (just under a year in fact) but luckily for Natsume, he was grateful to say that all of Mikan's friends viewed her and Natsume's relationship very positively indeed. Of course, it took some longer to accept their relationship than the others but the point was that now, in the present they all saw Natsume as a _friend_. Even Sumire. He was now permanent fixture in their lives; where Mikan went, he went. He was greeted like an old friend whenever any one of them came to visit them in their apartment. He was now a person that they relied on and trusted and even could spend time with comfortably. Even Hotaru. The two in fact had bonded two years ago on Mikan's twenty-first birthday as whilst everybody else had gotten completely and utterly drunk (including the birthday girl herself, who by the end of the night was fast-asleep on her boyfriend's lap, with her mouth unattractively gaped open) it seemed that it was only him and Hotaru who could stand so much alcohol. So, being the only two sober and conscious ones left they embarked on having a very deep, insightful conversation . . . nobody would ever know _what _exactly they talked about, but whatever they did talk about, it was good enough for Hotaru to respect Natsume after it.

They had all changed in the past five years; there was no doubt about it. There was the obvious: they all looked different. They had all matured too, grown up! . . . but sadly with growing up comes the inevitable 'drifting away'. But not in the way you think it means. They all drifted away from each other in the _literal_ sense that all of them hardly got to see each other on a daily basis any more, not in the sense they were no longer close.

They were as close as ever, really, but their jobs and daily lives got in the way of seeing each other every day. There was also the important factor that the girls and even all of Natsume's friends too all had other friends (as Natsume did with his work and Mikan did with her work) and also by the fact that some even were in relationships now and thus they had to juggle with that aspect too.

And that was mainly why Mikan was in such an ecstatic mood that afternoon after hearing from Aoi. She was going to see _everybody _tonight! And perhaps she'll even get to finally meet some of her friends' boyfriends that she had heard so much about for the past few weeks.

"I guess we haven't all met up since then." Natsume mused before he made a mental note to text Koko to tell him explicitly _not _to bring any photo albums tonight.

"Shall we sit here?" Mikan suggested, motioning in front of her.

Natsume agreed, and as the two sat themselves down on the grass he said, "I bought you a bento box and oranges," he grinned when Mikan cheered happily as he pulled the two said items out of the plastic bag, "and the plum-flavoured chocolate balls you were whining and raving about last night."

"I was not!"

Natsume couldn't help look at her with a dubious eyebrow raised. "If that wasn't whining and raving then I don't know what is." He recalled last night as she was rummaging through the snack cupboard: _Oh, Natsume! Why do you never get the plum-flavoured choco balls! You're so boring; you always get the normal milk-chocolate flavoured ones. _But you hate plum, he had pointed out, to which she had responded, _That's no excuse! You're so boring I am going to die. _

At that point, Mikan took off her sunglasses so he could see her glare that honestly just looked so silly and out of place. He handed her the choco balls nevertheless with an amused grin on his face, and at the sight of them she couldn't help that bubble of laughter escape her lips. "Okay, okay you're right. I suppose I was out of control last night." she admitted without a trace of guilt on her face before looking at the choco balls in her hand with a sickly look, ". . . and what was I thinking? I _hate _plum!"

Natsume spluttered, "That's exactly what I said last night! To which you simply replied that I was so boring that you were going to die as a result of it!"

Mikan threw her head back and laughed. "Oh my poor Natsume." She put a soft hand to his cheek. "I'm so mean to you sometimes. I'm sorry. I was just having a strange and unexplainable craving for plums last night . . . You know I find your aloof and rather awkward personality adorable, don't you? And you're hilarious to me," she kissed him on the cheek, leaving a faint lip-mark on his cheek, "not boring in any way or form."

"Right, right . . ." Natsume dismissed Mikan by pushing her away with a grin he was trying hard to hide on his face.

"So now that's said and done," Mikan happily said as she sprung away from Natsume and stretched her hand out to grab an orange, "let's have lunch!"

As Mikan was peeling her orange Natsume remarked, "Oh, I also bought something that would make you laugh." He then proceeded to pull out the last thing that was in the plastic bag, and Mikan looked at him with interest, only to see him pull out a magazine.

"Mmm?" Mikan mumbled, intrigued, with a piece of orange now in her mouth.

Natsume then, with the magazine in hand, shuffled his way behind to where Mikan was sat, so that he could hold his girlfriend in his arms from behind, mainly so that both she and he could read the magazine together. He stretched his legs out so that Mikan was _really_ encased and rested his chin on her shoulder as he flicked the pages of the magazine and mindlessly opened his mouth to welcome the piece of orange that Mikan offered him as he did so.

"Where is that damn article," Natsume mumbled, his warm breath tickling Mikan's ears as a result (she couldn't help giggle like a little girl) before he exclaimed a little, "Aha." and stopped on page 36 with a smirk that Mikan could and did not see. The title of the article nearly made Mikan, who had been languidly eating her orange, choke.

"W-W-WHAT!" Mikan dropped her orange and took the article from Natsume's hands, only to place it in her laps (her legs were bent so it was balancing more than anything between her knees and bust—so Natsume could still see the article) in order to read, out loud, the headline: "'Mikan Sakura—Pregnant with Natsume Hyuuga's baby?!'" she turned to him, "What the _hell!_"

Natsume chuckled in her hair. He knew she would react like this.

"'Mikan Sakura age 23," Mikan continued to read out loud, "was positively _glowing_ beside her boyfriend of five years, Natsume Hyuuga, last weekend in Ginza as they walked hand in hand, each with a large _Oichi_ bag in their free hands. _Oichi_, which is the well-known and loved national home products company that designs and sells things from beds, table . . . to essential _baby_ furniture. A report tells us that inside _Oichi_, Mikan Sakura and Natsume Hyuuga seemed to linger quite a bit around the baby furniture section which makes us question whether the two are expecting a little bundle of joy.'" Mikan then incredulously spluttered, no longer reading the article out loud, "The hell are they talking about! We were nowhere near the baby furniture section last week! Ooooh," she narrowed her eyes now at the article, "the damn press . . . if they only knew we went to _Oichi_ to buy new sofa covers because Hachi," Ruka's dog, "peed all over our old one!"

Natsume chuckled before he himself started to read the article out loud, taking it from the place where Mikan had left off, "'We can't also help but feel suspicious because ofthe glow that Mikan Sakura is radiating when she is in the presence of her boyfriend. A glow, that perhaps many readers will recognise, to be the glow that only pregnant women can emanate. Furthermore, later that night, Mikan Sakura and Natsume Hyuuga were seen in Shinagawa for a romantic dinner and sources also tell us that Mikan Sakura was seen to have been cradling her stomach on a number of occasions.'" Mikan spluttered again, shocked to what she was hearing—where they _serious? _Assuming she was pregnant because she was seen to be touching her stomach?! Nevertheless, Natsume continued—the end of the article was near: "'Mikan Sakura and Natsume Hyuuga have been one of Japan's favourite couples ever since it was confirmed that the two had rekindled their love back in the end of 2010 after a messy past, and many eye-witnesses often comment on how sweet and friendly the two are with one another,'" Natsume snorted along with Mikan at that statement before concluding the statement, "'so we can't help but wish upon a star that the two are indeed expecting a healthy, happy baby.'"

Mikan didn't know what to say.

Natsume snap shut the magazine, before he nudged his girlfriend from behind, with a smile pressed to the back of her neck. "So, what do you think Miss _Glowing_ Mikan Sakura?"

". . . Well that definitely explains why Permy texted me with a teasing congratulation message. And Anna. And Nonoko. And why Hotaru asked me when I was _expecting_—I thought she meant when I was to see her, so I thought her question was strange! And . . . and why Aoi said she couldn't wait for a new Hyuuga—oh _god._" Mikan hid her face in her hands as Natsume laughed from behind her, loving her reaction. He put the magazine down beside him so that his hands could now wound themselves around her waist.

"Your friends _love_ to tease you. And I think I know why they do."

"Oh _god_," Mikan repeated before she turned to look at Natsume from the corner of her eyes, "what if my parents see this? They would believe it a hundred percent and probably send us baby-clothes and toys! And oh _god_, what if _Ryo _sees this?!" At that, even Natsume halted with his laughter.

Ryo saw Natsume they way Natsume saw Youichi. That wasn't a good thing, especially when he feared that Ryo's dislike towards him was ten times worse than his feelings towards Youichi.

If Ryo saw and believed the article, then it was no longer really a laughing matter for Natsume. Just as how Natsume still found it hard to find space for Youichi in his heart after all these years, Ryo seemed to find the task of merely _liking_ Natsume just as hard (if not harder). Natsume had gone to meet Mikan's family in Nagoya four years ago for the first time and he still went along with Mikan at least twice a year to visit them and whilst Mrs and Mr Sakura took a liking to Natsume quickly enough ("He's so handsome!" Mrs. Sakura had swooned; "He's very smart!" Mr. Sakura had gushed) and were happy to see him every time he came to visit, Ryo, on the other hand, continued to look at him with suspicious eyes.

Ryo had gotten married two years ago to an exciting Osaka girl (to Sumire, Anna and Nonoko's dismay) and very awkwardly for Natsume, he wasn't actually invited to his three-year girlfriend's older brother's wedding (his bloody sister was!) and ended up having to come as Mikan's plus one, to Aoi and Hotaru's absolute sheer amusement.

"If Ryo saw this he'd probably come all the way to Tokyo to kick your butt and say that I'm way too young to be a mummy and that you took advantage of me!"

Natsume didn't doubt that at _all_. Mikan was Ryo's very precious little sister after all, and he and Ryo, well, they hadn't exactly started off on the right foot . . . Natsume _had _stated that Ryo looked like a _girl_ in one of his songs . . . not to mention he had treated Ryo with such a contemptible and callow manner on their first actual meeting it made Natsume cringe in embarrassment . . . he really was an cocky shit when he was teenager. It was no wonder that Ryo still gave him the stink eye whenever he opened the door to him and Mikan whenever they visited him and his wife.

Even so, Natsume still found his smile resurfacing, "It's still pretty damn funny." He then started to kiss the junction of Mikan's neck very softly, taking another mental note to email the Sakura's (and Ryo . . . if he felt brave enough) tonight about the truth and perhaps even leave a P.S. that he and Mikan would come visit soon.

"I still can't believe they called me pregnant!" Mikan continued to whine however, not yet seeing the funny side of the article, "That's horrible!"

Natsume however after hearing that statement stopped kissing her neck and looked up, turning her body ever so slightly so that he could see her face and so that she could see his face. A slight frown was now present on Natsume's face, "Why? You don't want kids?"

Mikan blinked, before she answered, "What? No! Of course I want kids—you know I do!" Natsume smiled at her answer as he thought, _Yes, three to be precise. _"It's just all these so called sources thought I was pregnant. Which means they thought I _look_ like a pregnant lady. Which means they thought I look _fat._"

Natsume couldn't help the incredulous laugh that came after her very honest reply. "You're so silly, Mikan," he took hold of the magazine again and fumbled a bit for the page in question before continuing, "nobody is calling you fat," Mikan snorted at this (mumbling: "Then why do people think I'm pregnant?"), "and they only think you're pregnant because," his crimson eyes skimmed through the article, ". . . here we go—'because ofthe glow that Mikan Sakura is radiating when she is in the presence of her boyfriend'," he put the magazine back down after he had quoted what he was looking for (in an obnoxiously annoying voice), "that is to say, _me._" Natsume threw her a rather charming smile. "I have the power to make you glow like a pregnant woman apparently."

That was really when Mikan realised how secretly _happy _Natsume was reading this article. Yes, it was a source of amusement for her boyfriend but she could also tell it made him happy to read that she might be carrying his baby even though they both knew otherwise. She was sure it filled him with a sense of pride.

_Men, _she rolled her eyes quite adoringly. He really was so cute . . . in his special own way.

Even so, Mikan couldn't help but say, "But assuming I'm pregnant because I am radiating a non-existent glow is ridiculous! So is the excuse about my hand being on my stomach – come _on! _I was probably just nursing my full stomach; having a hand on your stomach does not equal mummy-to-be!"

Natsume sniggered, "The reporters are getting sillier by the day."

Mikan sighed in agreement before adding, "Not to mention I'm only twenty three! It's a bit too early for a Natsume Junior . . ."

"We had one in our teens." Natsume reminded Mikan, prompting Mikan to think of the stuffed toy bear they had fondly called Natsume Junior during their 'great escape' of the Academy.

She could do nothing but laugh in memory of that bear. "I wonder what happened to that thing . . ." she pondered for a second before agreeing, "Yes, you're right, we did have a Natsume Junior in our teens." Mikan reached her hand out to stroke little fine hairs on Natsume's nape and although she didn't comment on it out loud, she couldn't help notice how _good_ Natsume smelt today . . . did he always smell this good? It seemed as if her nose was really getting perceptive these days . . .

Unaware of her thoughts, Natsume gently smiled at her before a rather taunting gleam sparkled in his eyes, "But it's definitely way too early for a _Mikan_ Junior. I don't think I could, in fact, I don't think the _world_ could handle another one of you."

"Oh ha ha Natsume."

Natsume leaned over to peck her lips and although at first her lips were tightly pressed it didn't take long for Mikan to smile into his kiss.

"But perhaps before I'm thirty, eh?" Natsume subtly requested, with that all too familiar smirk on his face.

Mikan looped her arms around Natsume's neck. "We'll see . . ." she grinned, "You'll have to grow up first before you have my permission in becoming the daddy of my children." It was Mikan's turn to laugh now, and when she did, Natsume couldn't help but think (despite the fact that she was teasing him now) how beautiful she was and how she _did_seem to be glowing . . .

_Could it be that she really is . . . There _was_ that little incident two months ago—no, no. Come on, Natsume, stop being silly. She's not pregnant . . . she can't be? Could she?—_Those thoughts came to a halt when Mikan leaned to give her boyfriend a kiss on the cheek. "You're such a muffin . . . which reminds me!" she turned to look down at the untouched bento box in front of her, "Let's eat!"

Natsume amusedly rolled his eyes.

Everyday was not perfect—that didn't exist, especially under the Sakura-Hyuuga roof and in their relationship. They fought as much as they said those three words, and indeed some fights were worse than other's – like the one last year where Mikan left their apartment in a fit of rage (she hobbled over to Hotaru's place of course), despite it being late at night, after she had been lectured quite aggressively by the jealous Natsume that he didn't want her to see Kaname anymore, alone, once she had returned back home from a friendly meal with Kaname (which she had invited Natsume to but which he had rather rudely declined, saying he'd rather babysit Koko than eat with that girly looking blondie). Despite that it had taken Natsume a few hours to both cool down and to swallow his pride to apologise (and after picking up the phone, only to hear Aoi's angry screeching voice, telling him to grow up), all was of course forgiven in the end. The point was their relationship wasn't smooth-sailing in any sense or form.

But they needed each other more than anything else.

Without Natsume, Mikan was incomplete.

Without Mikan, Natsume was insane.

And as the two sat under the spring's sun in Ueno Kouen together, all seemed perfect to them.

It all started with Natsume opening the door to Mikan. He had opened the door to the Alice Academy to her, and although he and even she would have never guessed it then, Natsume was also effectively opening the door to _their_ lives together then. That was their start.

Mikan, as most little girls do, always dreamt for the happy ending – that shouldn't come as a surprise, really, right? But it was only recently that Mikan realised that a happy ending was the last thing she wanted because after all, who cares about the ending? It's the adventure to the ending that counts and that's all the fun. She wanted a happy life with Natsume, not a happy ending with him. As she fondly looked at Natsume then and there, she couldn't help a sappy smile come across as he started to mumble about the fact that the oranges weren't seedless as the packet said.

"You're so cute, Natsume." Mikan tinkled with laughter. "Like an ape." Natsume looked up, with a half-amused half-disgruntled expression. "_My _ape." Mikan added as she playfully chewed on the ends of her chopsticks.

"Since when are apes cute?" Natsume responded with his eyebrows furrowed. "You've already called me a muffin and now you're calling me an ape?"

"_My _ape." Mikan corrected.

Natsume laughed. "You're crazy."

Mikan grinned, saying what they always said whenever the word crazy was involved, "Only with you."

Natsume chuckled, before he cracked his pair of chopsticks apart, doing so with his gaze lingering on Mikan, who was plucking the plum out of her bento box with a disgusted frown on her face. "Here, I'll have it." He offered, as he always did, and she without being told twice threw in his bento box.

"Thank you, Natsume." She smiled.

And when Mikan smiled at him like that, a part of him couldn't help wish that Mikan _was _pregnant with his baby . . . as that would mean a start to another one of their adventure and it would also mean they would become _parents _to a child that was equally theirs . . .

But he could wait, he reasoned in his head, as for that day _will _come one day or another—he was sure of it, after all, their crazy adventure would continue to the very end of their lives together.

"Oh and Natsume? I love you. Just thought I'd let you know."

To think it started only with a swing of a door.

**.0.**

_**Fin**_

**.0.**

**A/N: **Is Mikan pregnant or not? I left you guys all on a vague note, but as this is the epilogue it'll be an unanswered one – it's for you guys to decide for yourselves … :-)

I don't know whether you liked it or not but this to me was enough.

Many wanted me to pair Sumire and Koko and Hotaru and Ruka respectively but I didn't. Why? Simply because although in the manga I'm completely rooting for Sumire and Koko (Hotaru and Ruka, not so much …) in this fic, although there were potential moments, I don't think either of the two would have happened due to the circumstances.

But I really, really, _really _hoped you enjoyed the epilogue.

So … **time to say goodbye **(cue to start listening to '_Time to say Goodbye_' by _Sarah Brightman and Andrew Bocelli – _seriously, listen to it.)

So, here goes nothing!

Thank you all so much. It's been so much fun to have been able to write on this site but I have to admit I am more than ready to graduate from FFn. I came here in 2007, which is five years ago…woah. From thirteen to eighteen; it's crazy what a few years can do to you… I feel that I have outgrown FFn (I'm never on it anymore unless I am updating my own story), which is just a sad reminder to me that I'm growing up (blaah). I'll be honest too: I don't see myself ever coming back here so review for last time's sake?

But thanks for all the memories! Seriously—you guys have been so wonderful to me, too wonderful at times with your compliments. I've been writing this for so long now, it feels weird that I won't ever be writing about Mikan or Natsume again … weird in a good way though! But again, thank you all _so much. _

Now, I probably mean very little to every one of you who have read thus far – why _should_ I have mean anything to any of you, right? None of you (to my knowledge) have ever met me in person and I gather that even if we did pass each other on the street you I would not know who you were vice versa. I'm nobody to you, yes – I'm just an amateur writer on the internet whose stories you have just read. Even so I hope you'll take this away with you; a little message from me, which is simple: please, please, _please _don't waste your life away reading and writing stories. It sounds like such an awful thing to say but don't judge me yet and hear me out! What I mean is, please don't waste your life on the internet (fanfics, in fact). Life is _completely _different to fanfictions in every single way. Sure, come here once a while and enjoy escaping reality but don't make _this, _(fanfictions, animes and mangas the internet) your reality. That's not life. And you might question me: "Who do you think you are, telling me how to live my life?!" but I'm really just saying this because, well, on my FFn facebook account, when I do go on it (once in a blue moon…) it really pains me to see that for some 'friends' I have on that account, FFn seems to _be_ their life. It's tragic…and somewhat pitiable. I know we all have problems (some worse than others) and I know that sometimes we all want to hide away from life and escape in a world of fun and games (and corny but feel-good love stories of people with huge goo-goo eyes) but…no. I just can't accept that as life. I _know _that awful things like depression, bullying, lack of self-confidence exists. Of course I know that they do and I understand (to an extent) when people say they take refuge in this site from all of these awful things but to me, taking refuge in the _internet _instead tangible things (like your friends or _family _who have feelings and can hear your voice) is so destructive…

We only live once…so why would you want to spend life, which is so precious yet so miserably short on something like the internet when you could be out in town, enjoying the sun or even the pouring rain? You'll make better memories standing in the rain, getting _drenched _with your friends (or family) than you would if you spent the whole day inside tapping life away on your laptop.

I'm not saying 'don't ever read fanfiction or never write' (of course not! That would be paradoxical in so many ways) – I'm just saying balance it out well. Make writing and reading a _part _of your life, not your life itself. Especially don't cling to these fairy-tale stories - and girls, hate to break it to you but guys like Natsume Hyuuga DON'T exist. None of these anime/manga boys exist in reality… Let's take Natsume's example: First of all (the _biggest _and most obvious flaw) he's _eleven._ Or ten? Twelve? I can't remember but we'll just go with eleven because it's the median. Well, last year I babysat an eleven-year-old boy…pfft. Riiiiight, well, if you ever find an eleven year old who is _not _obsessing over some violent videogame (and boobs for that matter) and instead is completely head over heels in love with a silly girl (ahem, Mikan) please let me know but as far as I am concerned … _no_.Just no. So stop drooling on your keyboards about imaginary men and start to live your life—find someone who's perfect for _you! :D_

That's the real reason to why I am leaving this site (yes, this is my last story!). Yes, I do feel like I've outgrown it but the main reason is because life is not on the screen but out _there. _

_**So, carpe diem, girls!**_

_**So now I say goodbye: goodbye, goodbye, thank you, and for the last time, **_**good bye! ****These past five years with you all have been an absolute pleasure. **


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